


Walking the Stars - Brothers

by sweetinsane



Series: forever trusting who we are [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Force Unleashed - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Canon, Angst, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Family Drama, Family Issues, Friendship, Gen, Post-Revenge of the Sith, Pre-A New Hope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:15:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 64,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2842673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetinsane/pseuds/sweetinsane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke and Galen have grown close, but Darth Vader's attention –or the lack of it still hangs between them. Luke is desperate to believe in his father's good intentions, but the more caught up in Vader's schemes Starkiller becomes, the more he starts questioning both himself and his Master.</p>
<p>Sequel to Walking the Stars - Rivals, which I advice you to read first. You do not need to be familiar with The Force Unleashed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

Desert. Mountains and canyons in the distance throwing long shadows against the endless barren lands. The coolness of night was quickly making way to the day's heat as Tatoo I kept creeping up on the sky with its twin, Tatoo II, following in the horizon. Thin metal towers dominated the land here, collecting every single drop of humidity around them. On this planet water was far more precious than any of the rare minerals or jewels hidden under the rock and sand. Vaporators were delicate objects that needed constant maintenance. And as any dutiful moisture farmer, the owner of these vaporators had risen before the first light of the suns to check on the instruments. Sabotage was not unheard of in these parts where the Tusken Raiders were seen every now and then despite all the efforts from the locals to drive them away. This morning the desert was silent and peaceful.

The same silence and peacefulness were not, however, what awaited Owen Lars at home upon his return from the first check-up round of the day. Two young men with red lightsabres was a sight he had grown used to during the past eight years, but the outright battle instead of the usual coordinated, practised movements on the yard made him wish he'd stayed to check even the furtherest ridge.

Galen, the assassin boy he'd accepted as his older adopted son, chased his younger brother Luke who had been forced into defence. Owen didn't know much about lightsabre fights and frankly had no interest in them, but even to his untrained eye it was clear that Luke was being badly outdone. They weren't just battling each other, either. PROXY, the dutiful combat droid Owen would've rather seen turned into a maintenance droid, had assumed yet another form of a Jedi long since gone. Both of the boys kept keeping the droid at bay while trying to defeat each other. The red lights of their weapons moved faster than his eye could follow.

His wife Beru stood red-faced in the doorway with a broom. "Galen Lars, how many times do I have to repeat myself? No lightsabers indoors!"

"Sorry, aunt Beru!" the boys called in unison, sounding not in the least sorry. Luke took advantage of the mere second of Galen's divided attention and leapt backwards right onto the dining table.

"Luke!" Beru screamed, shaking the broomstick for emphasis. "Off the table this instant!"

Rarely was she seen so angry.

"Sorry, aunt Beru!" their younger son responded again, but Galen had reached the table. Luke had the higher ground now, but he had essentially cornered himself, and even he, short though he was, was not able to stand to his full hight while standing on the table under the painted roof.

Turned out it didn't matter. As Owen descended the final steps down to the yard, PROXY attacked Galen viciously, giving Luke enough time to escape. He chased down the two, and took the opportunity to stab his lightsabre right through PROXY's hologram body. The droid fell down defeated, but their duel was far from over. If anything, without the need to fight the droid as well, their mutual knowledge of each other made the battle even more difficult. Without PROXY's interference it was almost too easy to instinctively know what the brother would do next. It was harmony that looked like chaos from an outsider's eyes.

The world outside faded away. It was just the two of them and the Force. The mighty, domineering dark and intoxicating Force all around them, and it was their's to manipulate. For Luke, time had slowed down. The glowing red light, the extension of his arm was all there was. And yet it was as if he could see everything, hear everything, feel—

He yelped when a powerful blow of Galen's lightsabre knocked the weapon off his hand. He stepped backwards, already reaching with the Force to recover the hilt, but stumbled on his feet when Galen's aggressive Force push hit him hard on the chest and he fell down on his back. The red, lowly humming weapon was mere millimetres away from his neck long before Luke's weapon was back in his hands. Galen scowled at him, towering over him. He could finish his brother off there and then, and no one could do a thing about it.

To them, the moment seemed to last forever, but what both Owen and Beru saw, was Luke falling down and Galen striking for the killing blow, only to deactivate the blade just before it would've gone right through Luke's neck.

Galen grinned down at his brother, hooked the hilt back on his belt and offered his hand to help Luke up. Luke grinned as well, taking the offered hand.

"This is why Lord Vader won't let you come with me on the missions", Galen huffed.

"Oh come on! I wasn't that bad! We'd make a great team."

"Yeah, a great team in which I'd have to be saving your neck every time you got distracted."

"It wouldn't be the same in real situation! I know you won't kill me."

"And as long as you think like that you're not ready", Galen replied.

Luke was a good fighter. Very good. There was no denying that. But he also had a bad habit of walking with his head in the clouds and getting distracted by the tendrils of Force. He was a quick learner, far quicker than Galen was. If he hadn't had the eight year head start, Luke would probably have been superior with his skills. As of now, Galen could still beat him almost always, but it wasn't as easy as it used to be.

"You're far too trusting. If I'd been an enemy you'd be dead now."

"But you aren't!" Luke argued.

Galen would have argued back, but aunt Beru's hands grabbed his shoulders from behind. "Galen Lars!"

Galen turned around reluctantly. Both boys bit their lips and rather looked at anything else but their furious aunt.

"And you, too, Luke. Shame on both of you! What have I said about those weapons?"

"No lightsabres indoors", both young men replied dutifully.

"Exactly! I've told you a million times I don't want those glowing sticks in my house. Which one of you hit the corridor wall this time?"

"Sorry, aunt Beru" they muttered in unison.

"And was that a lightning I saw, Galen? I've told I never want to see them here. In fact, I never want to see any battles in my house at all. Training you can do on the yard as much as you want on your free time, but battles you take to Beggar's Canyon or anywhere else where you won't be seen. Is that clear?"

"Yes, aunt Beru... Sorry, aunt Beru..."

"And Luke. No hopping on the furniture! I don't want your dirty feet on my dining table. You're cleaning it right after I'm done with both of you."

"Okay..." the younger boy sighed, awkwardly running fingers through his unruly hair.

"You're both going with Owen for the rest of the day. No more additional practising. You do your daily exercises and that's it. Neither of you goes to Tosche's tonight and Holonet is off limits."

"Yes, aunt Beru..."

"And PROXY, I'm not forgetting about you!" Beru called the combat droid. He was back on his feet now, hologram turned off. "You were in on this, too. You're not allowed to ambush them inside."

"I am aware of that, mistress Beru", the droid replied. "I am a droid, I do not go against commands. I ambushed the masters here. They took the battle inside, but I did not follow them because that would have been against your command."

"PROXY's telling the truth", Galen was quick to defend his droid. "He's just doing what he's programmed for."

"PROXY perhaps isn't at fault, but you two..! I don't want life and death situations on my yard! Galen, you nearly killed your brother!"

"No, I didn't!"

"He didn't, honest!" Luke echoed, tugging at his collar. "He didn't even scratch me! Look!"

"Maybe, but it looked like a close call", she chided, taking a closer look at Luke's neck.

"It wasn't!" the boy assured, trying to show off how unharmed his neck was.

"To my eyes it did, and I don't want to see it happen. Vader might be alright with your games, but I'm not."

"They're not games..!"

"Silence, both of you", Owen hollered at the boys. "Don't argue with Beru. You're coming with me to ridge after breakfast and you leave your lightsabres here."

"But what if—" Luke started, about to suggest they might need them in case the Tusken Raiders showed up, but Owen silenced him with a sharp look. The last of the yellow that had tinted Luke's eyes in the heat of the battle faded away, giving way to the blue.

"No buts."

"Thank you, Owen", Beru said, waving the man away. "I'm quite capable of handling this myself. The breakfast isn't ready yet. Luke, clean and set the table. Galen, you help me finish in the kitchen."

The brothers submitted to their fate without further arguments. Beru was still unmistakably annoyed by their behaviour throughout the breakfast, but was back to her happy, easy-going self when the boys arrived for dinner with Owen when the Tatoo I had already sunken behind the horizon. The lunch they'd eaten right after the hottest hour out in the desert.

With no Holonet allowed for either of them, the boys spent the evening sparring and brushing up their sword techniques. It was nearly time for shutting off the generators, when PROXY, who heavily favoured indoors because of the presence of sand everywhere outside, approached Galen.

"Master, a call from Lieutenant Lekauf."

Both boys dropped what they were doing instantly.

"What is it?" Luke wanted to know, barely able to conceal his excitement. Erv Lekauf only contacted them if Luke's father had contacted him. The messages were almost always meant for Galen, but Luke kept hoping that maybe this time the message would be for both of them. That maybe this time father would allow Luke to accompany Galen on his mission.

"It's for me", Galen said with confidence. They always were.

"Encrypting connection", PROXY told. The hologram around him started to take shape, within seconds it appeared as if the droid was gone and a man stood in his place.

"Erv!" Luke exclaimed before any formal greetings both the man and Galen were so fond of could have been made. "Hi!"

"Hello, Luke", Erv greeted with a sharp nod. Luke liked his father's former aide, not only because out of all the people he knew, the man had spent by far the most time with Darh Vader, but also because the man was just genuinely pleasant and interesting company. Sadly they didn't meet in person very often as Erv had relocated to Mos Espa after only a few years in Mos Eisley.

Galen cleared his throat. "Good evening, Lieutenant Lekauf."

"Evening, Starkiller."

Starkiller. The name sounded cold and unfamiliar to Luke. Only Erv and Vader ever called him by that name. And it always meant business.

"You've been given a mission. And Lord Vader's found you a new pilot, who's due to arrive some time before the noon tomorrow. If you could arrive around the same time—"

"I'll leave right away, sir."

"No, no, you don't need to drive here tonight. If you leave at sunrise you'll be here by noon."

"Sir, I'm not afraid of Tusken Raiders. If I leave tonight, I'll be there by sunrise and I'll have plenty of time to get ready", Galen argued.

"If that's what you want to do."

"I will see you at sunrise."

"Very well. Goodnight, Luke. Travel safely, Starkiller."

The call was ended without any details about Galen's new mission discussed. They never took unnecessary risks when it came to the safety of their home. The Empire had its ears and eyes even on this remote dustball.

"You're really leaving tonight?" Luke asked, even though he knew the answer. There was nothing Galen took as seriously as Vader's orders.

Galen didn't reply. Just headed to his room to gather what he'd need to survive a few days or weeks away. Luke followed him.

"Take me with you."

"You know Lord Vader would kill me if I did that."

"No he wouldn't", Luke laughed. "Come on, I promise I won't be in your way. You don't need to take me with you to slay the Jedi. I could just be your pilot. I'm good at piloting."

"I don't need a pilot. Lekauf just said your father's found me a new one. And being my pilot isn't an easy or a safe job", Galen reminded. "My previous pilot got killed."

"I wouldn't."

Of that Luke was probably right. By "got killed" he meant "your father choked him to death". But he couldn't tell that to Luke.

"Come  _on_ , you know I'm a good pilot. You always say you hate training new pilots. You wouldn't need to train me!"

"No. Luke, I know how much you want to, believe me. There were times when I thought Master would never send me on a new mission again. Your time will come, you just need to practise some more."

"But I do practise!" Luke whined. "And I'm ready! He just doesn't know that because he never talks to me! He doesn't even care!"

"Master Vader cares about your training the most", Galen replied, surprising himself for how well he could keep the bitterness from his voice. How could Luke even say that? Master cared far more for his son than he did for his apprentice. Not that he was an official apprentice. Sixteen years and Master still would not call him an apprentice. He shouldn't have cared, but he did. Because Vader didn't care for his not-apprentice at all, in fact. Starkiller would get attention only as long as he was useful. What would happen then was the gnawing sensation that still kept him awake at nights, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. It ate away at his mind, consuming his heart and filling it with fear.

What would happen to Galen Lars, when Starkiller became useless?

Luke evidently didn't share his fears, didn't see things his way. Luke thought the lack of interest Vader showed meant he didn't care, when nothing could've been further away from the truth. Galen had never seen Lord Vader care for anything as much as he did for his son, but Luke mistook his father's protectiveness for disregarding.

"He doesn't, he doesn't even know me! He doesn't speak to me, he doesn't even want to see me!"

"He's protecting you."

"He's ignoring me."

Galen shoved his things in his bags angrily. "Fine. Whatever. Think what you want. I'll see you in a few day or maybe weeks. Depends. Practise a lot, because when I'm back I'm taking you to the Beggar's Canyon and at this rate I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

He threw the bag over his shoulder and marched out of the room.

"Aunt Beru, uncle Owen", he called. "I'm taking the swoop, I need to be in Mos Espa by sunrise."

Owen hmm'ed in response. Galen came and went like this all the time. Aunt Beru, on the other hand, got up to hug and kiss him, and then fussed over the poor boy and insisted he'd have to take the leftovers of the dinner with him. It was her way of dealing with the fact that her elder son was basically a trained assassin, on his way to kill someone and Galen tolerated it. Even though aunt Beru was always like this, it still made him uneasy. The early childhood spent alone in a harsh environment had made him forever wary of touch.

Luke was waiting for him in the garage with PROXY, who would be coming with him.

"Hey."

Galen acknowledged the greeting with a nod.

"Listen, Galen... I'm sorry I lost my temper like that."

"It's fine."

"Yeah, but I don't want you to leave if we're fighting."

"We're not", Galen assured him. "Cheer up, kid. I'll bring you a souvenir."

Luke's lips curled into a small smile. "Give that Jedi some extra from me, too, okay?"

"I don't know if it's a Jedi, but deal", Galen said, hopping on the swoop. PROXY followed his example. The poor droid hated the swoop. "Practise a lot while we're away, alright?"

"Yeah. I'll kick your ass when you get back."

"We'll see about that", Galen laughed and reached out to ruffle Luke's blond hair.

"Good luck."

"The Sith don't need luck."

"I know. Force be with you."

"The dark side is always with us, Luke."

His brother cracked a smile. "Whatever. Get lost, Erv's waiting for you."

Galen grinned and revved the engines. The repulsors lifted the vehicle up to the ground level through the opened tech dome and the swoop shot off into the darkness of desert night. Luke smirked and grabbed a backpack of his own that had been hidden behind the landspeeder. He then ran to the living room, making a show off it.

"Did Galen leave already? He was supposed to wait for me!"

"What?"

"I told him I don't want to make a race of it!" he whined before his aunt could say more. Even Owen's attention was on him and he didn't look at all convinced.

"Your father's sending  _you_  on a mission?" he questioned.

"Well, um, yes. Sort of", he mumbled. He straightened his back a little in an attempt to look more convincing.

"He's sending you to fight a Jedi?" aunt Beru gasped.

"No! I mean, I don't know. You know Erv doesn't tell Galen any details on comm. And obviously Galen will do all the actual fighting. But I'll get go with him and watch and learn."

"Galen didn't mention", Owen mused. He hadn't got up from his armchair.

"I wanted to tell myself! Come on, can't you be a little more excited for me? This is huge! It's the first time I get to go!"

Aunt Beru looked torn. She didn't like one bit the fact that Galen killed people on regular basis, but she had to tolerate it. The idea that Luke would be one step closer to that life didn't sit well with her. But it was also something she had no power over. They had promised Vader that Luke would receive his training. Galen had never revealed in detail what his training had been like before he had come to Tatooine, but Beru was glad Luke would never have to go through the same.

"Why didn't Galen wait for you?"

"Because he's a piece of bantha—"

"Watch your mouth, Luke", Beru warned.

"I need to go or I'll never catch up with him."

"Let the boy go", Owen muttered. "I'm not going to start arguing about this with his father."

Beru sighed and pulled Luke into a hug. They'd known this day would come eventually. Her boys were Sith learners and they were both grown up now. They were young men now rather than boys. Luke had turned seventeen on Empire Day, Galen would soon be closer to twenty-one than twenty.

"Be careful", she said.

"I'm always careful."

She kissed his forehead before letting him go. "More than usual. Don't do anything reckless. Listen to your brother and do as he says, alright?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, fine. Can I go now? I can still catch him and be in Mos Espa before him."

She nodded with a smile. Her little Sith was growing up. She ought to feel proud, not sad or frightened. "May the Force be with you."

He smiled as well, only slightly feeling guilty about lying to her. But lying was an essential skill for a Sith to have. Manipulation was a powerful weapon. Or so he told himself. "Thanks, aunt Beru."

He glanced at Owen, but his uncle just waved him off. Aunt Beru followed him to garage, fussing over him. She wanted to know if he had packed enough clothes, if he had any food, if he had water, if he had his lightsabre. As if he'd ever go anywhere without his lightsabre!

It was completely dark out in the desert now, but it didn't matter. He could have driven through Beggar's Canyon with his eyes closed with the Force as his servant. He revved the engines and enjoyed the cool night air against his face. He had no intention to catch up with Galen tonight. As long as he's be in Mos Espa some time after him, everything would be fine. Galen would go to see Erv first to get a briefing, but Luke could go straight to the hangar where Erv kept the  _Rogue Shadow_. He could the hide himself inside and reveal himself once they were out of the system. What could go wrong?

* * *

 

Dawn was breaking when Galen arrived to the outskirts of Mos Espa. First came the slums and slave quarters. It was early, but he had to slow down more than he would've wanted to because of all the slaves on streets on their way to their duties. Once he got past the slave quarters into the inner city, the streets became almost entirely abandoned.

Erv Lekauf lived on the northern side of the city, not even a kilometre away from Jabba the Hutt's city house. It was a wealthy part of the otherwise poor city. Most people there owned several slaves, but Lekauf had none. He shared Lord Vader's hatred towards slavery.

Galen parked the swoop bike by the wall and buzzed the door comm, PROXY hovering near behind him. Lekauf let them in with only a sharp nod for greeting. Galen bowed deeply. They were led into a small living room, door opened to a inner yard allowing the still cool air flow inside. He undid his cloak and sat down to wait. Lekauf offered him water, and closed the door and drew curtains to cover the small windows high on the wall before sitting down himself, back straight like a soldier he was.

"Good to see you, Starkiller", he finally said. "I trust you're well?"

"Yes, sir."

"And Luke?"

"As ever. He's a quick learner. Really keen to get to leave Tatooine. He wants to go to the Academy. Says he wants to be a pilot." Galen shrugged. "Probably because Biggs and Tank are going."

Erv had no idea who Biggs or Tank was, but he knew Lord Vader would not permit his son to leave for the Academy under any circumstances.

"Where am I going?" Galen grunted. Little else mattered to him right now. He wasn't Galen Lars anymore. This was a mission for Starkiller. It was who he truly was.

"Lord Vader will tell you himself. I've notified him of your arrival, so I'm sure he will contact you holodroid soon."

They didn't need to wait for long.

"He's here", PROXY informed before the hologram activated. Darth Vader formed in front of them as if he'd physically materialised inside the room.

Lekauf snapped to attention and Galen dropped on his knee.

"Master", he breathed out. He could feel the Dark Lord's presence only faintly.

"Good morning, Lord Vader", Lekauf greeted.

"Leave us", the Dark Lord ordered with slight inclination of his head.

"Yes, Lord Vader." Lekauf left the room and closed the door behind him. Galen knew the man well enough to know he would not linger behind it to eavesdrop.

Vader looked down upon him for nearly a minute before speaking: "You were weak when I found you."

The words seeped disdain. Galen was careful not to let anything show on his face. He knew he'd been weak. But he wasn't weak anymore. Everything Vader had done and taught him had made him stronger, had given him power. His connection to the dark side was stronger than ever.

"Past years have made you stronger, the dark side has become your strength", his Master continued.

Could this be it? Would Master finally formally accept him as his apprentice? His heart leapt, but he almost dared not to hope.

"But your training is still incomplete", the Sith Lord finished.

Galen bowed his head to not let Vader see the disappointment in his eyes. It shouldn't have affected him, but it stung like a cold knife turned around inside him to know that he  _still_  wasn't good enough.

"What is your will, my Master?" he asked quietly.

"It is time to face your first true test."

"Your spies have located a Jedi?" he gasped enthusiastically, lifting his face to look up at his Master. Perhaps he was closer than than Vader was willing to say out loud.

"Yes" Vader confirmed. "Rise."

Galen obeyed swiftly. Vader paced in the small room.

"Master Rahm Kota", the Sith announced the name of the hated enemy. "He's attacking a critical Imperial shipyard in Nar Shaddaa. Destroy him and bring me his lightsabre."

"I shall leave at once, my Master", Galen replied with a small bow, ready to exit the room and fully expected the hologram to disappear. But Vader was not finished yet.

"The Emperor must no discover you."

Galen turned around and clasped his hands behind his back. He inclined his head a little as a token of respect, but he knew these instructions well. Vader never failed to remind him of them.

"Leave no witnesses. Kill everyone aboard. Imperials and Kota's men alike."

Galen opened his mouth to protest about killing Imperial soldiers, then quickly closed it. His Master was right, of course. It may not have sat well with him to kill his own, but he had done so in the past and would in the future should need arise. This would just be one of those times. "As you wish, my Master."

"Master Kota is far more powerful than you. I do not expect you to survive."

With that the hologram disappeared and PROXY's posture collapsed momentarily before his systems were back online. The implied threat lingered heavily in the room. Failure was not an option. Either he would kill the Jedi or die trying.

Galen opened the door with a wave of his hand as an invitation for Lekauf to return and sat back on the sofa. His Master's aide walked in shortly after.

"Do you have our destination?" Galen asked the droid after a long moment of ruminative silence.

"Yes, Lord Vader sent me the coordinates and I downloaded more information about the target. Would you like to hear it?"

"Fire away."

"The target of the terrorists is Sienar Fleet Systems' low orbit TIE-fighter construction facility. It mass-produces TIE/LN-starfighters and is protected by Imperial Navy Commandos."

Galen crossed his arms across his chest and nodded. Commandos he could take easily. They were well trained and accurate shots, but with a lightsabre in his hand, he didn't need to worry about the blaster fire.

"If the terrorists attack according to what our Intelligence discovered, we should have plenty of time to get there."

"You keep talking of terrorists. Are there more than just Master Kota?"Galen asked, despite remembering Vader's words of "Kota's men". He'd assumed it meant the Jedi had couple of local gunmen with him who felt the Empire had wronged them, but this sounded bigger.

"The intelligence doesn't mention Master Kota at all", PROXY said, "but there is a large group of terrorist led by a Jedi in the sector, who have been attacking Imperial targets for months now. This would appear to be their largest attack so far."

"So he has an army?" Galen huffed.

"It would appear so, master."

"Master Kota", Lekauf spoke for the first time after his return. "So you are hunting a Jedi Master this time."

"Yes. Finally", Starkiller murmured. He'd never fought a real Jedi Master. He'd fought padawans and knights, and knights who called themselves masters, but not once had he gone against a true Master. He had asked Lord Vader, but had been told he'd be killed if he were to ever face a Master.

"Patience, my boy", Lekauf said. "I told you you would, once Lord Vader deemed you ready."

"I've been ready for a long time", Galen grunted.  _Luke's holding me back_ , a little voice whispered at the back of his mind. He pushed the thought away. Luke was like a brother to him, but there were still times when bitterness washed over him. The thoughts ashamed him, and yet he thought he could be so much more now if he still lived on the Star Destroyer with PROXY like he used to. If he could just devote all his time to his training, maybe Master would've already accepted him as his apprentice.

"That's for Lord Vader to decide. Since he's now sending you to eliminate a Jedi Master, he must believe you can do it."

Galen's eyes averted. "I don't think he does. He always says he doesn't expect me to survive."

He straightened his back and looked back at the man. He didn't want to sound whiny. A bad habit he'd picked from Luke. "Which is exactly why. To improve I need to constantly fight and defeat opponents better than me."

Lekauf nodded. The man understood him better than anyone else he'd ever met. They were both loyal to Vader, and they both understood what it took to serve under the man's command.

"Best of luck then, Starkiller. Destroy that Jedi."

"Consider it done", Galen smirked. He turned to look at his droid. "PROXY, give me the target."

The droid's holograms activated and formed a shape of an old human man. His beard and long bound hair were white, and numerous deep lines on his face revealed his age. There were three long scars on his face, one over his right eye. His expression was stern and determined, his stance spoke of military experience.

"According to Imperial record", PROXY spoke with the Jedi's unfamiliar voice, "Master Rahm Kota was a respected general in the Clone Wars. A military genius, but felt that the clone soldiers were unfit for battle. Instead he relied on his own militia, and vanished after Order 66. Official Imperial records claim he's dead."

PROXY shut the hologram. Galen leant into his hands and thought.

"So there were no clones in his squad during Order 66 and he escaped in the midst of chaos", he mused.

"That would seem the most likely solution", PROXY agreed.

"Why has he surfaced now?"

"By the damage he's done so far, I'd say he wants to be found", Lekauf commented.

"It's a trap then."

"Exactly."

"Great, sounds like fun", Galen smirked. "And my pilot?"

"I don't know. I just know Lord Vader sent someone", Lekauf replied. He didn't usually get to meet Starkiller's pilots unless it was needed. The less the pilots knew the better. He knew nothing of the latest one. Just that he would be meeting Starkiller at the docking bay where the  _Rogue Shadow_  was kept.

Galen nodded in acknowledgement. The thought of a yet another new pilot to be trained irritated him to no end. Couldn't the pilots just...keep their mouth shut and do as he told them? Why did they have to try to engage him in conversation? Why did they have to be so nosey?

He left the swoop at Lekauf's and walked with PROXY to the docking bay. Both suns were now shining brightly on the blue sky and the air was quickly getting unbearably hot. Even after over eight years of living on this planet, Galen still occasionally found it difficult to adjust to the dry heat.

The docking bay was only a few minutes walk away from Erv's residence. Close, yet private enough. Technically only people with the access code to the door could open it, but Galen knew there were plenty of other ways to get in. It didn't bother him, though. Should any unwanted visitor manage to enter, they'd still have to face the  _Rogue Shadow_ 's own extensive protections. Even if they got in, the ship had many lethal ways of keeping away unwanted guests.

He walked the short corridor towards the hangar, PROXY heeling him. At the entrance way he doubled back. A woman stood next to censor arrays with a welder in her hand. Galen took a quick step back behind the corner, pulling PROXY with him.

"Who's that?" he whispered, taking a quick peek at her. She didn't seem to have noticed them yet. Blonde hair, civilian clothing. He couldn't say much from this distance.

"I would suspect she is our new pilot", PROXY replied. His photoreceptors being inevitably better and quicker at catching details than a naked human eye ever could, he had probably already managed to combine her facial profile with her name.

"Pilot? Her?"

"Accessing Imperial records."

The droid morphed into a near identical image of the young woman he'd just seen from afar. Now she wore a black TIE-fighter pilot's uniform, a captain's uniform judging by the insignia. She had a pale skin not suited at all for this planet, and light shade of blue eyes. She was slim and tall for a Human female. About the same hight as Luke or perhaps a little taller even. Her hair was neatly tied up under the black cap.

"Captain Juno Eclipse", PROXY said with a soft female voice. Galen couldn't make a connection to any specific planet from the accent. Somewhere from the Core, certainly.

"Born on Corulag where she became the youngest student ever accepted into the Imperial Academy. Decorated combat pilot with over one hundred combat missions, and a commanding officer during the bombing of Callos. Hand-picked by Lord Vader to lead his Black Squadron, but later re-assigned for a top secret mission."

Galen raised an eyebrow. Impressive stuff. She must have blown up something pretty badly to have Vader send her here. She didn't know it, but it was essentially a suicide mission. There'd be no way out for her of this alive. She knew too much already.

"Is there a psychological profile in there, too?" the same female voice asked mischievously behind his back. Galen stumbled to turn around and the hologram of Captain Eclipse next to him turned to face the real one. She stood astride, arms folded to her chest with a scowl on her face.

Galen could only stare –and scold himself for letting her surprise him. He'd survived countless of ambushes from PROXY, and now he'd entirely missed her coming.

"Actually, yes", PROXY replied with his own voice, abandoning the hologram. "But it's restricted."

He leaned closer to Galen and raised his hand to his face to mimic whispering. "Oh, master, I can tell she's going to be  _impossible_  to reprogram."

"Do you know why you're here?" he asked her, pushing the droid aside. Annoyance replaced the moment of embarrassment he'd felt over her managing to sneak up on him.

"Yes", came an instant reply. She moved her hands to her hips and comically PROXY copied the movement. "Lord Vader's orders were clear. I'm to keep your ship running and fly you wherever your missions require."

Oh, she was cocky. Galen hated her instantly. "Did Vader tell you he killed our last pilot?"

Her confidence faltered only a little. "No", she admitted turning quickly around and headed back for the  _Rogue Shadow._

"But I can only assume  _he_  gave Lord Vader a good reason to do so", she said over her shoulder, pulling a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I will not."

Galen hummed dismissively and followed with PROXY as his shadow. "I hope so, I'm sick of training new pilots."

He glanced at the  _Rogue Shadow_  properly for the first time since his arrival and instantly remembered Eclipse standing with a welder.

"What have you done to my ship?" he barked.

"I've, uh, taken the liberty of upgrading the  _Rogue Shadow_ 's censor array", she told. Carefully, but clearly proud of her work. "Now you'll be able to spy on any suspect ships within the entire system."

Galen didn't comment or praise her efforts. He was already walking up the steep ramp, assuming she'd follow.

"You are one of Vader's spies", she stated instead. It wasn't voiced as a question, but it was one. Galen turned around to glare down at her.

"Did Lord Vader forget to mention that keeping my ship running and taking me to wherever my missions require are the  _only_  things you are to do?" he snarled. "You don't need to know anything about me but where I'm going, and we're going to Nar Shaddaa. Can you handle that?"

She pursed her lips and walked past him. "Of course."

Galen rolled his eyes, but followed. This'd be a long mission no matter where he was going.

It felt good to be back aboard the  _Rogue Shadow_  nevertheless. Here he had a proper, familiar training room, and no one would bother him, nor would he have to worry about the hanging laundry or aunt Beru getting in the way of his lightsabre. He left his rucksack on the floor and headed to the cockpit. The ramp had been closed, and Captain Eclipse was already seated. PROXY was on his usual seat.

"Ready to go when you are", she informed.

"We can go", he said, taking the seat next to her. She didn't say anything apart from communicating with the local tower before they were in space and ready to make the hyperspace jump.

"Coordinates for Nar Shaddaa logged. Prepare for light speed", she said keying the final numbers for the jump. The hyperdrive hummed softly and stars stretched into long, white lines.

"So, what do I call you?" she asked, rotating on her chair to face him after the view was filled with the blue hyperspace tunnel.

"Starkiller."

"I'm assuming that's not your real name", she smirked.

"You assume correctly", he said, although it wasn't entirely true. While he was now more accustomed to the name Galen Lars, he still considered Starkiller his true identity.

She leant back in her seat with a thin lipped smile. "Fine. I can see time's just gonna fly by with you."

"I could kill you faster than you draw your blaster", he snapped.

"I'm sure you could. However, then you'd be without a pilot. See what your masters would think of that."

Galen frowned at her, but didn't say anything to add fuel to their verbal sparring.

"I'll be in the training room if you need me", he said getting up abruptly. "I trust you're familiar with the ship."

"Absolutely", she assured. "I arrived early in the morning and familiarised myself with the layout, controls, the weapon system... You've got an impressive ship."

She was genuinely impressed by the  _Rogue Shadow._  Starkiller opened the cockpit door. He didn't turn back to look at her as he walked away.

"I know. Try not to break her."


	2. II

Starkiller left the cockpit. He needed to meditate, needed to prepare his mind for the mission ahead. Above all, he needed to rest for a while before confronting the Jedi since he had not slept the previous night. He headed for his little bedroom behind the training room and promptly fell on his bunk. He'd have a few hours.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he next opened his eyes, something sifting in the Force and alerting him. He could hear the hyperdrive, a clear indicator that they hadn't arrived yet. Slowly, quietly he stood up. Listening.

He reached out with the Force. He could feel Captain Eclipse, but nothing about her felt out of place. And yet...there was something elusive, something hiding in the shadows.

His hand hovered over the lightsaber as he cautiously approached the door. It could be PROXY attempting to ambush him again. It could be something worse.

He waved his hand to will the door to open. Little light on the lock panel flashed blue and the moment the door opened he lunged forward, weapon at hand. A shadow in the dark room, a shape that was not a hologram turned around and stumbled to back away. Starkiller attacked before the intruded had time to fully react. The figure stepped back with a yelp, narrowly escaping the red blade.

It fell, and Starkiller struck to decapitate the unknown being. And as he did, another red lightsaber activated, just barely in time to block his killing blow.

"Galen, it's me!" the figure called frantically.

The Sith apprentice froze. "Luke..?"

He deactivated the blade at the familiar voice and hurriedly stepped back. With the Force he activated the lights and saw his brother half lying on the floor where he'd ungracefully fallen. The Force signature he could've recognised systems away blossomed as Luke let go of the mental shields that had kept him hidden. He as well deactivated his lightsaber and stood up, adjusting his black robes with an awkward smile.

"Surprise!" the boy grinned with arms opened wide.

Galen didn't feel like smiling. He blinked, his heart kept beating rapidly and his adrenalin filled body itched for action.

"You–you kriffing noski, what are you doing here?" he barked, still clutching the 'saber hilt in his hand. He didn't get an answer, because Captain Eclipse chose the moment to rush into the training room, blaster ready and aimed at them.

"I heard noise–" she started, then froze upon noticing Luke. "How did he get in? I-I swear I checked the entire ship!"

Galen turned to his brother with an angry frown. "It's not your fault, Captain. He knows a few tricks to fool the simple minded."

"Simple minded?" she repeated offendedly, but lowered the blaster. "You know him?"

"Unfortunately..." he muttered.

Luke combed back his hair with his fingers. "Yeah, I sort of slipped in with her... Easy to hide from her, obviously. And well..." He shrugged. "If there's any Force sensitive I know how to hide from it's you."

"Are you mad?" Galen very nearly shouted at him. "I almost killed you!"

Oh, he was dead.  _Dead_  if Darth Vader found out Luke was with him.

"No you  _didn't_ ," Luke huffed amusedly, then sobered a little. "Seriously, you weren't gonna..?"

"Of course I was about to kill you! I thought you were a thief or a spy or worse! What were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to see you in action!" Luke countered stubbornly. The boy folded his arms across his chest. "I won't get in your way, I promise."

Galen snorted, finally clipping the hilt back on his belt. "You're not coming! We're turning this ship around, and you go straight back!"

Captain Eclipse cleared her throat. "Actually, that might not be a good idea."

Galen turned sharply at her, for the first time taking a proper look at her since boarding. She'd changed her civilian clothing for her black uniform. "Why not?"

"Well, I don't know what you've been doing for the past few hours, so you may have missed it, but we are closer to Nar Shaddaa than we are to Tatooine. Lord Vader gave me  _very_  strict orders to never take the quickest or the shortest route out of or to Tatooine, so there's no way we'll make it to Nar Shaddaa in time if we turn back now. If we are on a strict schedule, I mean. Which, I might add, I don't know yet because–"

"We are on a schedule", Galen interrupted bluntly.

She shrugged. It looked like their stowaway wasn't dangerous. "In that case I advice we keep our course. We can drop him off later. You haven't briefed me about Nar Shaddaa yet."

"We're going to Nar Shaddaa?" Luke gasped excitedly. "Hutt space?"

" _I'm_  going to Nar Shaddaa," Galen corrected. "You're not going anywhere. If I can't take you back, you stay in the ship."

Luke let out a childish whine of protest, but the fierce look Galen gave him silenced the boy.

"Captain, go back to the cockpit," he ordered. "I need to talk with him."

She backed away to the door uncomfortably. "You aren't going to kill him, are you?"

Galen crossed his arms and glowered at Luke. "He'll live."

Luke rolled his eyes at him. Neither said another word until the door closed behind the Captain and they could tell through the Force she really had gone.

"What were you thinking?" Galen urged between grit teeth. "Do you realise that Vader's gonna end me if he finds out?"

"Relax, he doesn't need to know."

"He'll know the moment Aunt Beru notices you're gone! She'll contact Lekauf and he  _will_  contact your father!"

"I'm not a complete idiot!" Luke exclaimed. "I told them he sent me with you. And they believed me!"

"Really?" Galen questioned sarcastically. "They believed that  _Lord Vader_  sent  _you_  to hunt a Jedi with me? You've never been on a mission before!"

Luke narrowed his eyes and assumed more assertive stance. "No, I told them I'm here to watch you. And I'm going to."

Galen held his head in despair. He couldn't take Luke back, but having him with them was a huge risk. Just the fact that Lord Vader wouldn't be happy about this was one thing, but it was legitimately dangerous in the way Luke wasn't trained for. Luke was an excellent dualist, but he had never duelled anyone else but PROXY and Galen. He had defended himself against a swarm of little training droids, the Tusken Raiders, pirates and swoop gangs, but none of those were the same as trained stormtroopers or indeed the navy commandos Galen was supposed to face in a matter of hours. It was always different out there.

Vader almost always said he didn't expect Galen to make it, and all those times he truly had to give everything he had to survive. There had been many, many close calls. Sometimes, though he loathed to admit it, it had been more luck than skill that he had come out victorious and alive to tell the tale.

Some of Galen's pilots had died on missions. What if someone managed to invade or shoot down the  _Rogue Shadow_  while Luke was onboard? What if the Jedi sensed him and somehow realised who Luke was? There were about thousand things that could go wrong.

And it wasn't even about Luke's training. It was about keeping him hidden. Luke was the only thing the Emperor or anyone else could truly utilise against Darth Vader, or so Galen at least believed. There was no other life Lord Vader valued as much as he valued the life of his son. If someone saw Luke, thought he was a Jedi and investigated, sooner or later they'd run into the name Skywalker. Even if they couldn't attach the name to Lord Vader, it was trouble enough.

Even if Galen hadn't cared for Darth Vader's reasons, Luke was still his brother. And like Lord Vader, there were no other lives he valued as much as he valued those of his family.

His brother sighed and came to his side. "Are you really hunting a Jedi?" Luke wanted to know.

"Yes."

"Prime..!"

"No it's not," Galen argued. "It's serious and dangerous. He's by far the most dangerous target I've ever had," he continued with a slightest tint of pride in his tone. "But you shouldn't be here."

"Come on, I can take any Jedi just as well as you can," his little brother said confidently.

"No you can't. When was the last time you beat  _me_  in a duel?"

"Last week," Luke replied without missing a beat.

"Exactly. And how many times have we duelled after that?"

His brother shrugged. "I dunno. A few?"

"A few. A few times which  _you lost_. If I'd been trying to kill you any of those times you'd be dead. You should not be here."

"Well repeating it isn't going to change things," Luke pointed out. "I'm here now, so can't you just be happy about it? Please, Galen. I just want to see what you do. How am I ever gonna become a true Sith if I never get out of Tatooine? If I  _never_  get to do the things you do."

Galen breathed out heavily. "Fine. But you're not leaving this ship. And you'll do exactly as I tell you. And  _don't_  call me Galen."

"Promise," Luke agreed. "...can I see the cockpit?"

"I guess so," Galen sighed. "I need to brief Captain Eclipse, anyway."

"Prime," Luke repeated with a grin his brother didn't share.

Captain Eclipse turned her chair around upon their arrival. PROXY stood up, its head turning from Galen to Luke and back in a mockery of human confusion.

"Not a word, PROXY," Galen said before the droid could express his surprise.

"Everything alright?" the Captain enquired.

"We've come to an agreement," he stated. "He stays, but is under no circumstances to leave the ship."

"Not even if the ship is about to get destroyed?" Luke wanted to know.

Galen rolled his eyes. "Obviously staying alive is your first priority."

He returned his attention to Juno. "No matter what happens, his safety comes first. You're in charge of him as much as I am."

"Understood."

"Good."

Galen turned the co-pilot's seat with a wave of his hand and collapsed on it heavily. He motioned Luke to take the jump seat.

Juno looked between them. "Okay... I'm Juno. Captain Juno Eclipse from Lord Vader's Black Eight Squadron. What about you?"

"I'm L—

Galen gripped Luke's throat with the Force. "Skywalker. You can call him Skywalker."

He let go and Luke coughed, giving his older brother a murderous look. Galen chose to ignore it. Juno's eyes widened in shock at this small display of his powers. Clearly she was familiar with Darth Vader's signature move.

"Are you...some kind of Jedi hunters?"

"I bring Darth Vader's enemies to justice," he pressed. "And now so do you. He's still learning."

"Hey," Luke protested with a hoarse voice.

"A learner," Galen repeated. "So watch and learn. PROXY, show us the target."

The already familiar image of Rahm Kota formed in PROXY's place.

"This is General Kota," Galen explained. "A Jedi Master who managed to escape from Order 66. Officially dead. He's gathered himself a small army and breaks havoc on Nar Shaddaa's Imperial targets. According to our intelligence he's planning on attacking a TIE-fighter assembling facility in the orbit. He wants to be found. Juno, your job is to stay close, monitor the censors and keep radio contact with me. I'm going in, I find Kota and I execute him. Questions?"

Luke raised his hand, but Galen's attention was still on Juno. She looked worried.

"So we're just walking into a trap? How many pilots have you lost before me..?"

"Seven," he told bluntly, turning to Luke. "Yes?"

"Excellent..." Juno muttered with a slight shake of her head.

"What do I do?"

"You sit there and stay out of Captain Eclipse's way."

Galen stood up. "Until then, I don't care what you do," he told the woman. "But you," he addressed Luke, "are coming with me. PROXY, I need to talk to you, too."

"That would seem necessary," the droid agreed, abandoning the hologram and followed his two masters back to the training room.

"Why did you tell her my name?" Luke barked immediately after the door closed behind them.

"What is master Luke doing here?" PROXY spoke over him.

"Skywalker sounds similar to Starkiller", Galen replied, ignoring the droid for now.

"But that's my real name!"

"And now she thinks it definitely isn't your real name," Galen argued, though truth to be told he had panicked and said the first name he could think of. It shouldn't matter. No one but Juno would know it.

"Why is master Luke here?" PROXY repeated. "Lord Vader–"

"I know what Vader thinks!" irked Galen cut the droid off. "He doesn't know and we're going to make sure he won't find out."

"Oh master," the droid tutted. "Lord Vader will be furious."

"I'm sorry," Luke wailed. With even PROXY saying his father would be angry it finally began to dawn upon Luke why Galen was so distressed of his presence. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I promise I'll stay out of the way. And if he finds out, well, I'll talk to him."

Galen breathed out, his tense shoulders relaxing a little. If he could handle Kota, he could handle his little brother. Of Lord Vader he wasn't so sure yet. "Just...stay out of the way. Hide yourself well when he contacts me."

Luke's eyes brightened. "He definitely contacts you every time?"

"Yes. And no, you're not going to be in the same room when that happens", he clarified when Luke's face lit up with excitement. He tried to look certain, but worry gnawed him. What would he do if Lord Vader wanted to see him in person?

* * *

Luke spent rest of the flight in the common lounge and a bit later on moved to the cockpit where Captain Eclipse had elected to stay. They didn't talk much, Luke being afraid of getting his brother in greater trouble if he'd reveal too much and Juno seemed to be very wary of him as well. Galen sulked in his room.

Well, perhaps sulking was not the correct word. He meditated, and like sometimes when he went to the Jundland Wastes to meditate, he seemed like a different person entirely. Luke would never admit it out loud, but he was both in awe and frightened by this side of him.

The whole ship seemed to bathe in thick black tendrils of powerful dark side of the Force which both Juno and PROXY were oblivious to. Luke inhaled it with each breath, feeling himself more powerful than perhaps ever before. When they arrived to the Hutt space, there seemed to be very little left of Galen Lars. Starkiller bristled with power and wore permanent scowl on his face.

But Luke could only watch him with admiration and tiny bit of envy. He'd known Galen had done this all his life, but only now he truly realised the difference between himself and his brother. Galen was a Sith and Luke was still far, far behind him. If he would ever fight his brother when he was so truly in control of the dark side, he wouldn't stand a chance against him. In his full dark battle gear he was a fearsome sight.

Outside the window in the moon's atmosphere hung an enormous skyhook. A shipyard manufacturing TIE-fighters, Juno had told him. As they approached, Luke could sense the distress and chaos inside.

"One of the containment fields is turned off," Juno mused. She'd known it was a trap, but hadn't been expecting a trap this obvious. "Hangar 12."

Galen nodded. "Then that's where you'll drop me. PROXY, you know what to do. Keep an eye on the enemy movements. Captain, stay nearby, but out of the way. Skywalker...sit down and don't touch anything. Stay off the com."

Luke collapsed on the jump seat. "Yes, sir..."

"I'll track you with the onboard scanner," Juno told. "We'll be able to keep an eye on you. Any intel you may need I'll give via comlink."

His brother hummed in acknowledgement, completely focused on the mission ahead. He even gripped the lightsabre hilt in his hand already with his favoured reverse grip Luke had never understood. What purpose did it serve? The regular grip felt much more natural and useful to him.

 _May the Force be with you_ , Luke sent through the Force.

Galen's frown only deepened. Luke was fond of the Jedi saying, but Galen had little appreciation for it. They both had an extensive knowledge of both Sith and Jedi arts, but out of the two of them Luke was the one with more interest toward the Jedi and their culture. He said he wanted to know the enemy, but Galen supposed it was because of Anakin Skywalker and the late Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Starkiller left the cockpit without a word. Luke turned around quickly to see the monitors. He felt the air move as the landing ramp opened and then closed. Less than a minute passed and then Juno was already flying them away from the facility, out of the range of possible hostile fire.

PROXY had the facility's layout in his memory banks, but it was displayed on the monitor for both Luke and Juno's benefit. The comlink channel was open and it didn't take long for the near silence to turn into muffled screams, blaster fire and the familiar hum of a lightsabre. Luke leant forward, eyes on the monitor.

Galen didn't communicate much with them. He had other things to worry about. Once or twice he asked PROXY for directions, wanted to know where a certain door led to or which corridor to take. He seemed to have an idea where he was heading to, but the resistance sounded heavy. More than anything, Luke wished he could witness it. His body itched for action. He wanted to be there fighting alongside his brother. He could do it, he knew he could.

Juno must have noticed how uneasy he was, for she turned and whispered: "He's in this hangar now."

She pointed the location on the layout, then zoomed out to let him compare it to the skyhooks image. She looked at the screen and frowned. She zoomed back and ran a scan, then picked the comlink. "Starkiller. The bulkhead door is sealed," she told. "You'll need to find a way through it."

No reply from Galen came. The comlink frequency was filled with the sound of heavy blaster fire. Juno pulled a headset to muffle the sounds from Luke and turned her attention to the computer. Having no idea what she was doing, Luke looked at PROXY, but the droid, despite sitting motionlessly on the co-pilot's seat, seemed busy. There wasn't much else for him to do than to look out of the large windows and keep an eye on the screen.

It wasn't something he would've ever admitted out loud, but he was scared. This wasn't just them playing games in Beggar's Canyon. This was real. Galen was being shot at and he was killing everything in his way.

"Eclipse to Starkiller," Juno called suddenly, pulling the headset on his shoulders. "I've intercepted a message from the flight tower. The Imperials have mobilised the TIE-fighter squadron in your sector. Keep your eyes open."

"Will do," a muffled reply came from the headset.

"They're sending in a TIE squadron?" Luke frowned. "But we're on their side!"

"They don't know that," Juno replied. She bit her lower lip as if she as well only now fully realised what that meant. Anyone out there, friend or not, considered them an enemy. "But they aren't necessarily mobilising because of him. General Kota's men seem to have taken over the facility."

Luke wished he could've at least talked to Galen, but knowing how paranoid both his father and Galen were, he knew he better keep off the com. His brother had now been inside for almost half an hour.

Luke turned to look at Juno as she spoke something about lifts. She was so focused on her task she didn't notice him watching.

She looked nice. Very different from anyone he'd ever met or seen on Tatooine. She was a fighter pilot, a captain of her squadron. More than that, she had served under his father and not in just any position. She'd been leading the Black Eight Squadron. There were so many questions he would've wanted to ask. How was it to work for Vader? Was he truly so terrifying as the rumours told?

Luke was always among the firsts to speak in defence of the Empire, reminding people of the goods it had done. Wasn't their school funded by the Empire's Education for the Outer Rim Territories program? In turn they would describe the horrendous acts of cruelty and injustice they swore they'd seen the Empire to have spread. Entire planets killed, entire nations massacred from the orbit. Entire races enslaved. But that was the Emperor's Empire. Destroying it was what he and Galen were training for, wasn't it? It wasn't what his father wanted, surely?

Yet the stories told a different tale. Darth Vader was a brutal savage, knew no mercy, tolerated no mistakes. He would kill his own without a second thought on a whim.

Luke didn't know what to believe, although he knew what he wanted to believe. But the undeniable truth was that he didn't know his father at all, nor did his father know him. They'd only ever met twice. First when he was nine, before Galen, before any of this. He'd been terrified, yet curious of Darth Vader, but his father had left without even saying goodbye.

It had been over four years since the second time they'd met in person. Without any warning in advance Erv had knocked on their door late at night, alerting them of Lord Vader's arrival. A part of Luke had wanted to run hug the man when he finally did indeed arrive, but his feet hadn't moved. He'd frozen to place, terrified like a little child again with no idea of what he was supposed to say or do. Beside him his brother had knelt down and for a moment Luke had considered doing the same. Wasn't he an apprentice as well?

His father had towered over him and Luke had felt his eyes on him, felt the magnificent aura of dark side of the Force close in on him. He'd feared it would suffocate him. Then a leather gloved hand was on his shoulder.

"Good to see you, son," he'd said. Nothing more. The hand let go and Vader strode in to speak with Erv, Owen and Beru without even acknowledging Galen. Not that he talked much to Luke either apart from asking to see the lightsaber he'd constructed. Luke had modelled his after Galen's, who in turn appeared to have modelled his after Vader's. His father had turned the weapon in his hands, but commented nothing. He had wanted to see him spar with PROXY, then with Galen. He had pointed out his errors, but nothing else. His visit had been less than seven hours.

Galen would not talk about Darth Vader. If he asked, his brother would just tell what a wise and a powerful man Vader was. Never anything personal Luke so yearned to know. What did his father like? What was he like in person? Sometimes he felt as if Galen didn't even comprehend the question.

With a lot of coaxing and pestering, all he had got out of his brother was that Darth Vader seemed to enjoy flying and building things. He'd built PROXY, after all. But even that was nothing new. Luke had already known his father had built a droid and a podracer when he was still a slave. Luke had even dragged Erv and Galen with him to the Grand Arena in Mos Espa, and he'd seen a recording of the race his father had won.

Each time Galen left to fulfil a mission, he returned as a different person. Colder. Harder. It took weeks for the frown to melt from his face and for him to stop practising so hard. Now that neither of them went to school anymore, especially Galen devoted all of his time for training, whereas Luke still found time to see his friends.

His eyes wandered to Juno's uniform. She'd been to the Academy. He and Biggs and Tank had been talking about applying. Luke knew it was probably impossible for him to go, but it didn't stop him from dreaming. More than anything, he wanted to be a pilot. The Sith business was fun and useful, but he wasn't sure if the way of the dark side was what he wanted for his life. One of the things Galen would never understand. To Galen, his training was everything.

Maybe later when they were back in hyperspace he could ask Juno. Nothing too obvious. Just let her know he was interested in applying for the Academy and looked up to Lord Vader. He couldn't be the only 17-year old whose dream was to be part of the Black Squadron. He could apply under false name or something. Work hard, become a pilot and aim for Darth Vader's fleet.

A tremble in the Force pulled him from his thoughts. Galen had found the Jedi.

* * *

Starkiller drew back the lightsabre he'd thrown into the chest of one of Kota's men. The last one alive in the corridor.

The facility was a mess. The Imperials had been busy fighting off the terrorists, but he didn't have the luxury of choosing his opponents. Imperial or rebel, whoever stood in his way had to die. There could be no one left alive to tell who had attacked them.

He'd been inside for at least an hour now, first fighting his way through the hangars into the assembly lines, then through the corridors and lifts to get to the upper levels. Kota's plan seemed to be to wear him down as much as possible before confronting him personally. He wondered idly if the General's men knew they were used as pawns. Kota must have known he had practically signed their death sentences personally. So much for the so called nobility of the Jedi.

While he had certainly needed to work hard to get here, Kota was greatly underestimating him, if he thought any of that had exhausted him. If anything, this fore play before the grand finale had only empowered him. It had been a long time since he'd seen action like this and the warm up only served in his favour. The longer he fought, the more he hated Kota. It fuelled him. He had perhaps a few bruises, but no one had managed to blast him. Most of Kota's men were lousy shots, anyway. It was the Commandos he needed to be wary of.

But time was running out. Captain Eclipse had reported the terrorists had managed to do some real damage and the possibility that the entire skyhook would fall off the sky was looking more and more probable by minute. The gravity didn't feel quite right anymore and the floor was tilted –barely noticeably, but it was good to keep that in mind.

"Starkiller," the Captain called in his ear. "I don't like this. The readings I'm getting from the room to your–"

"Not now," Starkiller snarled. "Radio silence until I'm done here."

His pilot hesitated a moment. "Understood. Good luck."

Starkiller scoffed and turned off the comlink from his side. The Sith needed no luck. He'd felt the presence of the Jedi General from the moment he stepped off the  _Rogue Shadow_ 's landing ramp, but now they were close. Very close. Only one door stood between then. He gestured with his fingers for the blast doors to open and walked in to the Jedi's den.

He had arrived on a catwalk circling the room below. Windows surrounded the entire space filled with computer stations. A command centre of some kind. A tower. Even the floor was partially a window. General Kota stood alone, lightsabre ignited and ready for the duel. The Jedi must have sensed him. He hadn't tried to hide himself.

The Jedi turned to face him. He looked almost exactly like the image PROXY had created. A bit older and different clothes, but it was him. He didn't look like a Jedi. The clothes he wore and the way he held himself spoke of a soldier. Starkiller hadn't expected that. Compared to Kota the Jedi he'd fought before had been...tired. Barely holding onto life and to the light side of the Force.

Their eyes met and the determination on the Jedi's face turned to disappointment. "A boy..?"

The old man blinked and loosened his grip on the green lightsabre's hilt. "Months of gathering an army and attacking Imperial targets, and Vader sends  _a boy_  to fight me?"

He sounded insulted.

"Lord Vader has more important things to do," Starkiller taunted in return, a little pleased that it was him stepping into this trap instead of his Master. If the General thought it'd be an easy battle for him, Starkiller had already won. He hated to be underestimated. He may not have been at Vader's level yet, but looking at Kota now, with the knowledge of his disappointment he was sure he could take the old Jedi with one hand behind his back. He would make his Master proud, he would prove his worth.

Lightsabre ignited, gathering lightning in his hand he leapt down without giving the General a chance to reply.

Kota's lightsabre rose to deflect the lightning and struck him with far more force than Starkiller had expected. He attacked again, but the Jedi pushed him away and all the chairs in the room flew at him. With a wave of his arm the apprentice scattered the furniture across the room. He ripped a large screen from the wall and hurled it at Kota, attacking himself immediately after. He used everything and anything he could pull apart to throw at the Jedi, and the Jedi did the same.

Kota relied heavily on Juyo, one of Starkiller's own favourites. The General's way of using the most aggressive of forms, however, was unusual. He preferred to adopt defensive position, even though this was clearly a battle over life and death. Only one of them would leave alive, and Starkiller was determined that the one would be himself. Despite his defensiveness, Kota's attacks were fierce and powerful. Starkiller wasn't worried, though, not yet. He knew enough Soresu to defend himself and to wear off the old Jedi. He was younger. He knew he would prevail once Kota began to tire.

But Kota realised what he tried. His attacks grew stronger yet, his onslaught forced the apprentice to back away. It wasn't just the green lightsabre beating at him. Rahm Kota kept hurling anything movable at him. Starkiller responded with lightning and tried to drive Kota out of the control centre into the cramped corridor where he could force the Jedi in crossfire, but the Jedi wouldn't fall for that, either.

The General was far better at telekinesis than any of his previous opponents had been, save for Vader of course. It was new for Starkiller to have an opponent who could hurl large items at him the same way he himself could. PROXY could mimic telekinesis to some extent, but it was a far cry from reality. Luke on the other hand rarely relied on telekinesis. His brother was good, but Kota was better. The Jedi would not give in and to his horror the exhaustion from getting here was starting to seep in.

Juno's frantic voice called for him, but he ignored her, made no sense of her words.

Starkiller grit his teeth and snarled in frustration as their lightsabres locked once again. So close, yet so far. He could have easily reached to touch Kota if he had any free arms. He backed off to gain more space for a new assault, but Kota had other ideas. Starkiller was thrown across the room, his head hit against a console table dazing him for a brief second before the Force brought him clarity. Without the Force, without the dark side such hit would've killed him. He barely managed to stop an entire console station from crushing him and cast it aside as he scrambled up.

"I can't let you live, boy," Kota called though smoke and rubble. He stood on the other side of the room, lightsabre deactivated. "But I'll be sure to send you ashes to Lord Vader."

Too late Starkiller realised he should've listened to Juno. Kota pressed a small switch attached to his wristcom and explosions shook the entire control centre. Windows shattered and glass rained upon them. Wind blew in and wailed so loudly it almost drowned the sounds of explosions further away. No wonder Kota had been keen on staying in this room. There was a horrible screeching noise and the floor tilted. The explosion had almost ripped the room apart from the rest of the skyhook. He expected not to be able to breathe, but the skyhook must have lost more altitude than he'd realised. The air pressure was low, just barely breathable, but it was enough for a Sith and a Jedi.

But the destruction so far wasn't enough for Kota. He raised his arms and grabbed the thin air. He was about to rip the entire tower room apart. The walls crunched and metal wailed. The Jedi was trying to kill both of them. The room turned over, first tilting slowly away from the structure it had been attached to, then quickly and suddenly. Both men fell from the floor onto the wall. White cracks all over the windows that hadn't yet shattered expanded every time their weight on the glass shifted. The tower still somehow hung from the skyhook, but they might not for long.

Starkiller stumbled back on his feet, reigniting his lightsabre immediately. Kota lay on the floor, having lost his footing. Starkiller attacked just as he got on his knees, hoping the General would not have time to reignite his weapon, but the green blade met with his red in front of the Jedi Master's face. The man grit his teeth and forced the red blade on a safer distance.

"You think of yourself a Sith, don't you, boy?" the Jedi grunted, pushing up against Starkiller's blade, trying to get back on his feet. Starkiller could not allow that.

"With your Force lightnings and red lightsabre," Kota scoffed. "You're no Sith. Under all that anger and frustration you're just a frightened little child. I can  _see_  you."

The apprentice gasped. Trees. Trees reaching high up towards the sky filled his vision. He could hear bird calls and just out of the line of his vision stood someone. His hold on the lightsabre hilt loosened just enough for Kota to manage give himself five more centimetres of room.

But Starkiller did not let the blades unlock. He would not lose because of Kota's trickery. He kept pushing back, ignoring the words, ignoring the strange psychic assault.

"Vader knows it, too," Kota spoke, strain audible in his voice. His arms were trembling, he sounded out of breath. He couldn't hold on much longer. "He hasn't turned you. Your fate lies elsewhere."

Trees again, yet different. Dense and overgrown. He could smell the earth and feel the humid air against his skin. He was looking for something. Someone?

He had to will the stupid mind trick away. He knew his destiny. He was to kill the Emperor. His duty was to fight and learn and train and master every single thing there was to be mastered of the dark side of the Force. Master Vader had not turned him. He had made him strong, had shown him his path, his future. Had given him a family and home.

"He won't be your master for long," Kota sneered.

Snow blew at his face and icy wind beat against his skin. Snow crunched under his shoes, the cold stung his skin. He couldn't see anything but snow in the raging blizzard. Can't go on, this isn't me, no more. No more!

"Stop," Starkiller growled between his teeth, still feeling the freezing air in his lungs. He half expected to see his breath, but it wasn't real. It was just Kota playing with his head. The thin air must have helped.

And he didn't stop, yet he did not go on with the taunts. His expression changed, his voice softened. "I sense...I sense someone else."

The Jedi blinked. His eyes seemed to look far away and he spoke as if in trance, but his lightsaber was unwavering. "You didn't come alone. I sense a presence so bright and magnificent and...unbalanced. I see shackles and darkness. Rage. So much rage in this one. I see–"

The old Jedi's face was suddenly filled with bewilderment. His eyes widened and they finally really met with Starkiller's again. "Me?"

Whatever Kota saw, it seemed to shock him. His guard went down for a mere moment and it was all Starkiller needed. He pushed, roaring as he did and the green blade went with his red, it pressed against the Jedi's face and Kota screamed in anguish as his own lightsabre ate his flesh and burnt his eyes.

No other sound had given Starkiller such satisfaction in a long time.

Kota dropped his lightsabre and the man stumbled backwards, wailing in shock. There was hardly anything left of his eyes or the bridge of his nose but burnt red flesh. It smelt disgusting. He would've fallen straight on his back had Starkiller not wrenched him into the air. He could've snapped the man's neck with a tiny flex of his fingers, but that would've been too easy. He wanted to shatter every single bone in the Jedi's body. Preferably many of them before he died or lost his consciousness.

Kota grunted in pain as Starkiller smashed him against the railing of the catwalk, calling the fallen Jedi's weapon, his price, in his free hand. He hooked both weapons on his belt with a smirk. This time, surely, Master Vader would be proud.

He hauled the man against the roof, then smashed him against the floor. The glass cracked some more. Kota's breath was a pained whine. Even so, he tried to get up. Or so Starkiller thought. The Jedi got on his knees, pressed his palms against the glass and the glass shattered under his Force push. Kota fell, almost taking Starkiller with him, but the apprentice managed to hold onto a window frame and pull himself on it. He peered down, but couldn't tell which of the falling debris was Kota.

"Starkiller? Come in, Starkiller," Juno's voice called. She'd been calling for a while now.

The highest traffic lines couldn't have been more than a few kilometres away. The skyhook had been slowly falling and listing all this time, but amongst the duel he hadn't even noticed. Its failing repulsors couldn't keep the structure in the atmosphere.

"Come in, Starkiller!"

"Stop shouting, I can here you just fine," he snapped. Frantically he tried to search for Kota. Was he dead? He couldn't tell, he couldn't feel him. Terrible, hollow fear settled in his stomach.

"Finally!" Juno exclaimed. "Have you paid attention to anything I've said?"

"I've been a bit busy," he said, carefully standing up in the wind. There wasn't much surface left to stand on in here.

Worry gnawed at Starkiller. There was no way for him to be sure. The wound he had inflected wasn't necessarily life-threatening. It did't bleed and the cut wasn't located on anything vital. A few centimetres deeper and it would've gone through Kota's skull and brains, but as it was now...

But there was the shock and the fall as well. Surely he'd be dead? It had been a suicide, a final desperate attempt to kill the apprentice.

And yet...had it been him, had he fallen. Even blind like Kota he knew he would have survived. He'd have taken advantage of the ships below, or let himself fall until he'd reach the surface traffic. If he could do it, so could Kota.

He's dead, surely he's dead, he tried to reassure himself. He was blind, disoriented by pain. He must have had some broken bones, too. Possible internal bleeding. The fall must have killed him, the apprentice reasoned.

He breathed long and deliberately to calm himself, before speaking to Juno again. "I'm done now."

"About time. That whole thing is coming down. The systems will fail permanently any minute now and then there'll be nothing stopping the factory from crashing down. You need to get out."

"Fly under. I'll get in from the ceiling hatch."

"I'll do my best, but I don't think I can get close enough."

"You don't need to get close."

He shut his eyes, reaching out with the Force one last time in search of the Jedi Master. Nothing. At least he had the lightsabre. He didn't want to lie, but he couldn't report a failure either. The lightsaber would have to be enough proof for his Master.

He opened his eyes just in time to see the  _Rogue Shadow_  appear below him and jumped without hesitation. The rush of a free fall lasted less than a second. He slowed down his fall and softened his landing as his feet and hands touched the sleek metal of his ship. The wind blew in his ears, ruffling his hair.

The hatch opened and Luke's head peeked through. Two quick steps and he grabbed his brother's outreached hand and let himself be helped back in.

"That was so wizard!" Luke exclaimed as soon as the hatched closed and the wind couldn't catch their words anymore. "Did you rip the control tower?"

"No, that was Kota," he replied, running fingers through his hair. Broken glass fell down and cut his fingers.

"Oh..." But Luke's good spirits weren't disturbed that easily. "You killed him, though? Tell me everything!"

Starkiller rolled his eyes. "We met, he talked, we fought, I ended it."

"Not like that," his brother whined. "What style did he use? What colour lightsabre did he have? Did he manage to surprise you? How did you kill him? Did he say anything?"

"Juyo, green, no, I threw him against the roof and he said he'd ship my ashes to Vader."

Blatant lies and he had no intention to mention Kota's last words. His weird prediction and the visions. It gave him uncomfortable chills for some reason. Luke opened his mouth for more questions, but Starkiller raised his hand to silence him.

"I don't want to talk about it," he grunted. "Catch."

Luke caught Kota's weapon easily. "This his?"

He turned the hilt around in his hands. It was slender and had a leather band tied around it. Luke ignited the blade and gave it an experimental wave.

"I prefer mine," he denounced and handed the weapon back.

"Yours looks sloppier built," Starkiller remarked, just to annoy his brother.

"Speak for yourself, yours is made of actual scrap metal..!"

"True," he admitted a little more cheerfully. Luke could always lift his spirits.

"Starkiller," the Captain's voice called in his ear. "I'm taking us out of Nal Hutta's space. Anywhere you want me to go?"

"I'll be there in a minute," he replied and then turned to Luke. "I hope we'll have time to ditch you. Come on."

"Quit worrying."

Luke followed him back to the cockpit. Both Juno and PROXY turned to welcome them back.

"Excellent, master!" PROXY praised. "I'm glad to see you in one piece. It'd be shame if you died before I could fulfil my primary programming."

Luke grimaced at the droid. "Do you have to?"

"Inform Lord Vader that the mission's complete," Starkiller told the droid, ignoring entirely his musings of getting to kill him. To Juno he said: "Take us out of the system. Doesn't matter where. I'll be in the training room."

"Can I come?" Luke asked.

Starkiller shook his head. "I'm going to contact Vader. Stay here. And keep yourself hidden."

Luke pouted discontentedly, but accepted his fate and sat next to Captain Eclipse as his brother left, PROXY following like a faithful shadow he was.

Juno fed coordinates to the computer, but her eyes wandered to the young man on the co-pilot's seat. A boy, really. He was shorter than her, had blue eyes and light hair slightly longer than Starkiller's. This boy, Skywalker, didn't share the athletic built with Starkiller, but was clearly trained in similar arts. She hadn't yet seen Starkiller smile even once. The young man was stern and serious, constantly radiating anger and annoyance. Skywalker, on the other hand, had an expressive face. She hadn't had much time to pay attention to him during the mission, but just enough to see that. His eyes and stance spoke of his feelings constantly, whereas she could not read a thing of Starkiller. They looked like night and day, but were dressed in similar dark clothing, and Juno had not missed the lightsabre hilt on Skywalker's belt.

"So how do you and Starkiller know each other?" she risked a question.

The boy straightened himself a little on the chair he'd collapsed on. "We're brothers."

"Really?" She blinked, taken completely aback by the reply. Brothers would have been the last thing she'd suspected, considering how different they looked and how their bickering had made her think they were bitter rivals.

"Oh kriff, I probably shouldn't have told you that. Please don't tell Ga—him."

"I won't," she promised. She knew she shouldn't even have asked. In this line of work, it was often safer the less you knew. But she couldn't help but to be curious. "You both work for Vader then?" she inquired carefully.

The boy's face lit up a little. "Yeah! Well, he does, anyway," he said less enthusiastically. "I never get to see him."

"That might be better. He's quite a fearsome sight."

"Is he? You've met him, haven't you? You flew in the Black Squadron, didn't you?."

"Black Eight Squadron," she corrected "Yes, I did."

And then she was reassigned here after Callos. She still didn't know if it was a reward or a punishment. She feared it was the latter, even if her friends thought it was the former.

"So you've met him? You've  _actually_  talked to him?" Skywalker pressed.

Juno had known Vader had fans, but this was the first time she'd had the honour of meeting one. The over enthusiastic types never made it to actually serve under Lord Vader's direct command.

"Many times."

"Tell me about him. Please," the boy asked.

Juno wasn't sure what to say. She admired Lord Vader greatly, felt immense pride for working directly under his command. But like anyone in their right mind, she also feared him. Even if this boy didn't get to meet Vader, he still was an agent under his command. She ought to be careful with her words.

"He's...quite extraordinary," she said. "Intimidating. I could work with him the rest of my life and I'd never get used to being in his presence. I don't think anyone gets used to it. He's the best pilot I've ever seen. A great leader in battle. He's ruthless and won't tolerate failures, but he would never ask anyone to do anything he wouldn't do himself. He fights in the front lines when other commanding officers would stay in the orbit. Him arriving can change the course of the battle in moments. Sometimes the enemy just flees at the sight of him. He doesn't talk much and I've seen him just storm out of the room in the middle of a conversation. I don't think anyone knows much more than that about him."

Skywalker nodded, but looked disappointed. He'd probably heard all that before. Evidently out of the two of them, Starkiller was Lord Vader's favourite. But Starkiller also appeared to be several years older. It made her want to tell Skywalker he was still young, he still had time. Lord Vader would notice him if he worked hard.

What a silly thought.

Starkiller, she assumed, was about the same age as her, perhaps a year or two younger. It was hard to say about Skywalker, but clearly still in his teens.

She almost asked, but Starkiller chose the moment to return. He reached over her, and keyed something to the computer.

"Our new coordinates," he told.

Juno examined them. "That's in the middle of nowhere," she concluded, aligning them with the galactic map. "Scarl? I've never even heard of it. Are you sure you weren't supposed to type in Fondor's coordinates? It's only a few parsecs away."

"No, these are the coordinates and "in the middle of nowhere" is exactly why we're going there."

Skywalker's jaw dropped. "Are we going to  _that_  Star Destroyer?"

"Star Destroyer?" Juno repeated.

"There's this  _huge_  Star Destroyer the Empire's building," Skywalker explained excitedly, emphasising with arms spread wide. "It's going to be Lord Vader's new flagship when it's ready. Starkiller used to train there."

"I still train there," Starkiller remarked. "And it's a secret."

Skywalker rolled his eyes. "She's gonna see it  _anyway_."

Now that she knew they were brothers, she could see where their bickering originated and it was more hilarious than frightening. She turned away to hide her amusement. It was a good thing to have Skywalker on board, she decided. The boy forced the grumpy Jedi assassin out of his comfort zone and made his company much more bearable.

The computer finished calculating the route. Juno pulled the lever, stars stretched before them and the  _Rogue Shadow_  jumped to hyperspace.


	3. III

As soon as it became evident the  _Rogue Shadow_ was safely on course and in the Hyperspace, Vader's agent turned and left the cockpit without a word. Juno's eyes followed Starkiller. It stung a little to think he didn't seem to want her company. They were a team now. The door closed behind him, so she turned to Skywalker.

"Is he alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," Skywalker said. His eyes had followed the assassin leave as well. "He's always a bit weird after missions."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you know..." The boy shrugged. "Moody?"

"Moodier than he already is?"

Skywalker chuckled. "You've no idea."

Juno glanced back at the doorway, then turned at the consoles. The eerie blue glow of Hyperspace illuminated the cockpit. She rather liked it. It was like calm before the storm.

"He's not really like that," Skywalker suddenly said. "He's not. He's actually nice and funny. Not always, but... When he..."

"Allows himself to loosen up?" she suggested. Based on what she'd seen, she couldn't imagine him ever truly loosening up.

"Yeah," Skywalker agreed. The boy's fingers played with the sleeves of his black jacket. "He just takes this very seriously –as we all should, obviously. With...Lord Vader and all."

"Indeed," Juno agreed.

"Was it hard to get to the Academy?" the boy wanted to know, changing the subject away from his brother.

"Not really," she replied, though she had worked hard to be accepted. At the time she had been the youngest student ever accepted. "The hard part starts after you've enrolled."

She should know. She had graduated with top marks and honours, and it hadn't been an easy feat. Especially for a young woman, considering how male dominated the Empire's military was, and how blatantly misogynist many of his superiors and peers had been. Still were. But she'd shown them all when she'd been picked to fly in the elite Black Eight Squadron. Being promoted to its leader by Lord Vader himself had been perhaps one of the proudest moments of her life. Lord Vader didn't care if you were a woman. He didn't even care if you weren't a Human. All that mattered to him was that you could fly and take orders. And that was exactly what she had done.

"Will you go to the Academy?" she asked. She would happily tell him about it.

"I want to. But I don't think I'll be allowed to." He glanced at the consoles wistfully. "I'd rather be a pilot."

The boy turned to her and grinned. "But what I'm doing now is pretty great, too," he assured. He stood up quickly, as if wanting to end the conversation. Perhaps he'd already revealed too much to her. "I should go see what he's doing."

Juno watched the boy leave and then sagged against her seat, realising how tired she was. The past hours had been intense and not quite what she had expected from this assignment. She hadn't exactly expected to make new friends, but the grumpiness of her new partner was tiresome. His droid was strange, and the life-like holos it projected were unnerving. She kept wondering how much the droid knew of her, how much it had told its masters. It still angered her to think of the droid wearing her likeness, spilling out her private information.

Her fingers brushed against her datapad, stored by her seat. _I shouldn't_ , she told herself, even as she sat up straighter and pulled the datapad out. The less she knew the safer she'd be. She looked over her shoulder, but she was alone.

The truth was, when she barged into the training room, only to find that Starkiller had already found Skywalker, it wasn't because she heard a noise. It was because she saw a hooded figure move in the darkness.

There were cameras on  _Rogue Shadow_. It was of course fairly standard to have cameras, but she supposed they weren't meant for spying. Not that she was truly spying. She hadn't seen or heard anything that wasn't for her ears. Yet. She had just happened to switch the dark training room's camera on night mode, when Skywalker had decided to emerge from wherever it was he'd been hiding. Her fingers had itched to slice into that feed again after Starkiller sent her away, but she had thought it too risky.

Starkiller may have said it wasn't her fault Skywalker had managed to sneak in, but she felt differently. It may not have been her ship, but she was her captain now. She had the right to know what was going on. So she pushed aside the nagging voice telling her this wasn't a good idea, and once more logged in to the camera feeds. The only movement came from the training room. She turned the audio on.

"–found Kota," she heard Starkiller say as he walked towards the centre of the room. "That justice has been dealt."

"And?" Skywalker asked, following his brother. The droid stood waiting.

"And that's it," Vader's agent replied.

"What did he say?" the boy eagerly wanted to know. They must have been talking about Lord Vader. Skywalker truly was a fan, Juno thought amusedly.

"That he wants me in Scarl immediately. He'll probably have more targets for me."

That meant no rest for her, either. Would there be another Jedi for Starkiller to hunt? Before this assignment she had thought them all dead.

"Or maybe it's time," Skywalker said. What came next shook her to the core. "We can take down the Emperor easily. Maybe it's good I tagged along."

Juno's eyes widened. Surely she had misheard. She must have.

"I won't need you to take down the Emperor," Starkiller boasted. Juno covered her mouth with her free hand to muffle the gasp.

"But yes, it's time. I'm ready," he vowed. His voice was cold and sinister, it sent chills down her spine, and for a moment Juno believed him.

"We should be doing it together," said Skywalker. Even the boy now sounded devious.

"Your fate is different from mine," came a cryptic reply. Juno's heart was hammering in her chest. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This wasn't at all what she had hoped to learn by spying on her mysterious companions.

Did Lord Vader know? He must not have known. If she contacted him now– But no. It was too risky. Those two assassins would surely kill her if she got caught. Besides, what proof did she have? Why would Lord Vader believe her? Whether she was right or not, she could be killed for accusing Lord Vader's agents of treachery.

She gulped. She realised she had not heard or seen anything that happened between Starkiller's reply and the sight the video feed now presented her: the two fought with red bladed lightsabers. They moved so quickly it was hard to believe they were Human. How strong did one need to be to defeat a Jedi? Her father had told her it had been the clones that purged the Jedi after they had tried to take over the Senate. But what she saw now was something else. It wasn't natural.

Starkiller had gone alone, fought against the Imperials and Kota's terrorists alike. It only now began to dawn upon her what destructive powers such man had to possess.

But Emperor Palpatine was well protected. He was never seen without his Royal Guard. They were the best of the best. And yet...her two companions seemed to have supernatural abilities similar to those she had witnessed Lord Darth Vader to posses. Could the Emperor really be in danger? He was on old man. Ancient, almost. Her father had said their beloved leader had already been old long before Juno was born. She feared for how easily these two assassins might kill him, if they managed to separate him from his Guard.

 _I must have proof before I contact him_ , she decided. She would act normal and keep spying whenever she could. Next time she would record what she heard. Then, an no earlier, would she present her findings to Lord Vader.

* * *

Starkiller stalked out of the cockpit. He passed PROXY in the training room, but ignored him, and locked himself in his little bedroom. In the privacy of his room he allowed the panic to wash over. He sat on the edge of his bunk, leaning his head against his hands.

Shit, shit, shit.

What if Kota was alive?

He wouldn't really be lying, would he? He didn't know for sure. It was at least an educated guess to assume Kota dead.

He had never lied to his Master. He had never dared to.

He weighed the Jedi general's weapon in his hand. It was proof enough, wasn't it? Vader would not need to know. No one would need to know. Even if Kota was alive, he would hardly be a threat to the Empire now.

He breathed in, attempting calm himself, but calmness never came easy to him. He could meditate hours upon hours, but he would never find the inner peace that'd give him the same amount of concentration it gave Luke.

"But it's not hard at all," Luke had protested. "It's like...an icy peak within you. Above everything."

"What do you know of ice?" he'd muttered. He'd seen Luke rise a veil of sand around himself, a veil moving ever so slightly as if gently flowing in the wind. But it wasn't the wind. It was Luke's effort to keep the sand levitating. And when his concentration slipped it all poured down around him. Starkiller could scarcely muster enough concentration to take apart and reassemble his lightsaber.

"We're good at different kind of things," Luke had dismissed. "Lightnings are much more useful in battle than meditating."

A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Starkiller?" Luke's voice called hesitantly. It sounded strange coming form the mouth of his brother. Luke never called him by his true name. "Will you spar with me and PROXY?"

Starkiller put away Kota's 'sabre and opened the door with a small gesture of his hand. Luke stepped in with an uncertain expression. His brother frowned, sensing all wasn't well. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Starkiller told bluntly. Luke wouldn't know, either. "You said you wanted to spar. Let's spar."

He acted stoic and composed, but right now he was almost happy that Luke had sneaked onboard. He needed something to take his thoughts off Kota.

Luke watched him as he pushed past his brother to the dim lit, windowless training room. PROXY waited in the middle.

"What did you talk with him?" Luke wanted to know as he followed. There was no need to elaborate who him was.

"Just that I found Kota. That justice has been dealt."

"And?" Luke prompted.

"And that's it."

"What did he say?" his brother persisted, but Starkiller knew he would have to disappoint Luke yet again. Master Vader wasn't a chatty person, and he never asked about Luke from him. He only talked about his son with Lieutenant Lekauf.

"That he wants me in Scarl immediately," he told. "He'll probably have more targets for me."

"Or maybe it's time," Luke suggested. "We can take down the Emperor easily. Maybe it's good I tagged along," he said half jokingly.

"I won't need you to take down the Emperor," Starkiller dismissed. "But yes, it's time. I'm ready."

He did feel ready, despite what had happened with Kota. The Emperor was different. Sith or not, he was an old man. Ancient. He had prepared for it his entire life. He had studied Sidious's techniques and style from the few rare videos his Master had managed to get him. There was one he suspected Master Vader must have recorded with his own eyes, so to speak. It looked as if the footage was from his helmet, just as Master Vader had seen it. He knew the Emperor was a master of Sith lightning, but even that didn't worry him. He was a master of Sith lightning himself. If he had any natural talents, then that was it.

"We should be doing it together," Luke said, not for the first time.

"Your fate is different from mine," Starkiller reminded. He ignited his lightsaber with a smirk. "Shall we?"

He did not wait for Luke to reply.

* * *

When they arrived to Scarl, Juno could see that Skywalker had not been exaggerating when he'd said the Star Destroyer was huge. "Huge" was an understatement. It was massive. It was many times the size of a regular Star Destroyer.

"It's 19 kilometres long," she marvelled the data the  _Rogue Shadow_ 's censors picked.  _Executor_ , Darth Vader had named it, according to Skywalker. The name fit well. She could only imagine the destruction it'd be capable to leave in its wake once it became operational. Seemed only right that Darth Vader would have such ship in his command.

Skywalker was like a child in a toy shop. He practically drooled as he leant as close to the window as possible. As she watched him, she couldn't help but to doubt herself. She must have somehow misunderstood the partial conversation she had eavesdropped. In this short time she'd come to rather like him. She was warming a little to Starkiller, too, thanks to Skywalker's revelation. She might have even considered the agent handsome, had he smiled.

Starkiller was less enthusiastic. He seemed anxious and restless. "Juno, can you fool the censors if we're scanned? Vader can't know he's here."

"Unless he walks in and sees him, there's no way Lord Vader will ever know he's here," she reassured him. It was the first time she heard him call her Juno.

"It's not that easy," he said sternly. "Skywalker, you need stay in the ship, out of the windows and doors. Keep your presence hidden."

"Don't worry, I'm good at hiding. I fooled you," the boy said, only briefly turning his attention from the ship they were approaching.

"Darth Vader isn't me," Starkiller reminded with grit teeth.

"Hiding's all I ever do. Trust me. He won't know I'm here."

It didn't reassure Starkiller. He worried far more than he let show. He had no idea what would happen if Master found out his son was onboard. He would likely be furious. And while Starkiller now lived comfortably on Tatooine under the name Galen Lars, the threat over his life was still very real. Vader could  _and would_  kill him, if he could not live up to his Master's expectations. Luke nor Aunt Beru understood this. Within the family, Uncle Owen seemed to be the only one to accept that.

Luke wasn't his sole concern, either. Kota's lightsaber should be enough to proof he had succeeded, but it was his own skills as a liar he worried for. And then there were PROXY and Juno. Neither knew of Kota, but should Vader suspect something, should he question Juno, Luke would be discovered. She could lie to Vader, but it was unlikely that Darth Vader would be fooled by her. PROXY had promised he would not mention Luke, but the droid could only withhold information, not lie.

They were almost at the hangar when Luke finally could, albeit reluctantly, tear his eyes away from the  _Executor_. Starkiller could already feel his Master's familiar, intimidating presence. It felt good to be home.

The Sith Lord was not in the hangar, nor had Starkiller expected him to be. He was likely somewhere underside of the ship, where the concealed level removed from the blueprints was located. The level was stripped and bare, designed to function with minimal energy and maintenance. Lord Vader had his own hangar, the very same  _Rogue Shadow_  used to utilise when Starkiller was a child. His old quarters were about a kilometre away. His Master had his own quarters, chamber and a workshop there, but Starkiller only knew of those because PROXY had told him of them. He had never been allowed there, nor had he had the courage to go there uninvited.

"There are quarters on the forty-first deck you can use, if you want," he told Juno as he prepared to leave to find his Master. "All my pilots have lived there. I don't know how long we'll stay, but you can have an actual shower there. I hear the bed's nicer, too. Just keep your comlink open in case we need to leave quickly."

"What about Skywalker?"

"He'll have to stay here. The less you can spare thoughts for him, the better. And if you do go to your quarters,  _don't_  wander off. This ship isn't finished yet, especially the interiors. The droids don't know we're here, and they'll act like you you don't exist. So if you step in their way, you might get yourself welded into the wall."

The mental image seemed to disturb Juno, for which he was glad. "Thanks for the warning. How do I find there?"

"I'll show you which way to go. PROXY can take you rest of the way."

Juno accepted the offer, and quickly gathered whatever of her belonging she would need, then followed him down the landing ramp. Just to be sure that Luke would keep his word and not wander off, Starkiller locked the ramp.

They didn't talk. Juno followed behind him with PROXY, and the only words exchanged between them were when he informed her which lift to take. She would be heading up, he'd be going down.

He did not know exactly where to go, but his Master's presence would've been hard to miss, and tendrils of the Force guided him towards it. Darth Vader was waiting for him, not hiding from him.

Starkiller opened the doors to the dimly lit room with a wave of his hand. His Master stood on the other side of the room, facing the angular viewport. There's was nothing there to look but the vast emptiness of space. The apprentice knelt down, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"Master Kota is dead?"

Vader's words resonated across the room. His deep, dark voice void of any feelings seemed to fill the space. His presence dominated it, and his steady breathing was like a pulse in the darkness.

"Yes," he replied, risking a quick look at his Master, but the Dark Lord still stood back turned at him.

"His lightsaber," Vader requested.

Starkiller took the hilt from his belt and offered it with both hands. It was snatched away from him immediately, and the apprentice watched it fly across the room right into Vader's waiting hand. His Master examined it, then spoke: "I did not expect you to survive."

Starkiller bowed his head again. The words were nothing new to him. Vader never expected him to, but the fact that he had sparked a flicker of pride within him. Against all odds, he had survived this far.

"I can spare two days to test you further," his Master told, finally turning around to face him.

Any other time Starkiller would've been overjoyed by such privilege. This time the announcement sent him to panic. His face betrayed nothing, he shielded his emotions well, yet his Master could tell something was amiss.

"Or did you have other plans?" Vader demanded sharply.

"No, my Master," Starkiller said calmly, bowing his head even deeper as Vader strode to him.

"Then what is troubling you?" he asked, towering over the apprentice. There was no kindness or worry to his tone, just ire and force, which Starkiller knew could bend his mind to his Master's will.

"Noth–"

" _Do not_  lie to me," his Master warned.

Starkiller closed his eyes and drew a calming breath through his nose before blurting out the truth: "It's General Kota, my Master."

Out of the two secrets, it definitely,  _hopefully_ , had less severe consequences.

"What of him?"

"I– I'm not sure he's dead."

"What?"

The instant Vader's wrath flared, Starkiller was violently hoisted in the air by the Force. Vader's invisible hand choked him so that he could scarcely breathe.

"What do you mean "not sure"? Did you kill him, or did you not? You dare to lie to me?" the Dark Lord bellowed.

Starkiller grunted in pain as he was hurled against the door and dropped on the floor.

"Kota fell," he rasped, getting back on his knee. "He shattered the windows and fell. We were at least a few kilometres over the highest traffic lanes. But–"

Starkiller coughed and wetted his lips. "But I know I could've survived that. I blinded him, but I can't be sure the fall killed him."

He didn't dare to risk looking his Master nor say another word. Master Vader would not want to hear excuses. He had failed, simple as that. His Master's anger was tangible and felt nearly as suffocating as the choke hold just moments ago. He felt like a small child again, utterly helpless at his Master's mercy. The next moments determined whether he would live or die. But he would not let the fear take over. He would not tremble or let his voice falter. If he were to die, he would at least die without screaming or begging as he'd seen so many beings do.

"There's a Jedi on Raxus Prime," Vader spoke, turning his back to Starkiller again. He weighed Kota's lightsabre in his hand, then curled his mechanical hand around it, squeezing until the metal bent. He let go and the mutilated weapon fell on the floor with a miserable clunk. A green crystal rolled and bounced off to Starkiller's reach. "Kazdan Paratus is far more powerful and experienced than you are. I had planned on sending you to fight him, to see if you would survive him. Now I know you would not."

The apprentice paled. "No, Master, I'm ready!" he protested loudly. "I can–"

"Ready?" Vader asked as he spun around so quickly that the black cape swirled in the air. His voice was ice and it cut like a knife. "Do you question my judgement?"

Starkiller lowered his head instantly. "No, my Master."

"You will stay here for the two days I can spare. After that,  _I_  will determine whether you are ready or not."

"Yes, my Master. I will not fail you."

"See that you won't," Vader seethed at him. "Leave."

Starkiller rose and escaped his Master's presence as swiftly as he dared. As soon as he was at safe distance, he commed Juno.

"Are we leaving?" she wanted know. She sounded surprised, but like she could be ready to make the jump to lights peed within ten minutes.

"No. We're staying for two days at least. Do you need anything from the ship?"

"No, I've everything I need with me here."

"Good. Keep your comlink open, and  _stay_ in your rooms," he told, trying to get across the point that she really would be better off staying in her quarters. "I'll contact you when we'll leave."

"Understood. Juno out."

Starkiller sighed. This was possibly his worst nightmare come true. He'd failed and his Master knew it. Luke was still hiding in the  _Rogue Shadow_. Nothing in the Force indicated he was, but the fear of him being discovered turned his stomach. The longer they were here, the more opportunities there were for him to be discovered. Luke might get bored and attempt to leave. He might get curious and leave. He might want to see Darth Vader and leave.

PROXY might reveal him, if Master Vader just asked the right way about his son. Juno might reveal him by just thinking of him in Master Vader's presence.

He did not want to think what his Master might do to him, if he knew Starkiller had brought his son with him. It wouldn't matter in the slightest that Luke had sneaked in on his own accord. He ought to have noticed. It was perhaps worse than failing to kill a Jedi. If he couldn't spot Luke, then what about the Emperor's Force sensitive spies? How could Lord Vader trust him to be able to fight the Emperor himself, if he couldn't even keep an eye on a 17-year old Force sensitive, whose training was nowhere near completed, and whom he had mostly trained himself? No matter how ready he had proclaimed himself, he was far from it.

Lost in his thoughts, he'd ended up walking back to his old room. He still came here every few months to train and meet his Master, but the idea that he had once lived here felt bizarre and distant. He was now so used to the brightness of the two suns, the coarse sand, the inescapable heat of the day...and the presence of his family. Though they often annoyed him, he could not imagine life without them anymore. Strict and reticent Uncle Owen, kind and caring Aunt Beru, childish and impatient Luke. There were even people he could call his friends. As a child he had never imagined to have a friend other than PROXY.

Starkiller turned to leave the room. He had no time for nostalgia. He had two days to prove his Master he was worthy and that he could—

Familiar snap and hiss right behind him. He drew and ignited his lightsaber on pure reflex. His red blade deflected the blue 'sabre faster than even he himself could comprehend. Rahm Kota had locked weapons with him.

As Kota attacked again, Starkiller's mind caught up with his body. The Jedi, that had jumped at him without a warning, was PROXY, acting according to his primary programming. Part of his programming remained locked on Tatooine, and the droid often expressed his sorrow for not being able to attempt to kill him there. But as they had left the planet behind, PROXY's primary programming had fully switched back on again. This time wasn't for practise. PROXY was trying to kill him.

The Kota hologram forced him to retreat, but once they were out of the corridor, Starkiller quickly gained upper hand. That was until the Force warned him to duck. A massive durasteel crate from flew across the storage hall, and passed less than a centimetre above his head. PROXY nearly managed to sliced off his arm because of his momentary confusion, but the blue blade missed him only just. PROXY could simulate telekinesis with his lightsabre and some select objects, but there was no power in the galaxy that would allow PROXY to actually use the Force.

He didn't have time to think it further. The crate wasn't the only thing being hauled at him. But he knew how to handle that. He could fight PROXY and simultaneously deflect the objects. He could have used them as weapons against PROXY, but the droid had nothing to defend himself from being crushed by them, so Starkiller elected to direct the crates out of the way.

"You failed to defeat me once," PROXY taunted with Kota's voice. "What makes you think you can defeat me now?"

Starkiller roared in anger as he seized his most ferocious attack yet. It forced PROXY to back off, and he kept attacking again and again to keep his vantage position. He pounded the blue lightsaber with brutal strikes over and over again, giving PROXY no other choice but to stay on defence. The droid tried to break away from him, but that was a mistake. With a quick twist of his wrist he managed to disarm hologram. The hilt flew from Kota's hands and by the time it clanged on the floor, Starkiller had already stabbed his red blade right through PROXY's chest panel. The hologram flickered and switched off.

Starkiller pulled the weapon back and deactivated it. As PROXY collapsed he was already about to declare himself the victor, but the Force alerted him of danger. He turned around quickly, arm reached out, hand still holding the hilt, to stop the durasteel crate aimed at him. He held it in place for a second, then cast it aside. It landed with a mighty thud.

A door on the upper level opened and Darth Vader stepped to the catwalk. He leapt down with grace no man carrying that amount of metal in their body ought to have been able to do.

Starkiller knelt down when the man approached him.

"You beat PROXY's training module easily," his Master mused. "Yet you failed to kill the real Rahm Kota."

It wasn't a question, so Starkiller remained silent, though he wanted to say it wasn't the same at all. He now realised how different from reality PROXY was. He half expected to be punished in some manner, but Vader didn't even appear to be angry anymore.

"What distracted you?"

Starkiller wanted to say the general got lucky. He didn't want to admit that the Jedi's vision had affected him in any manner, but the truth was, he couldn't stop thinking about it. On the way to Scarl he had meditated upon it, but the Force would bring him no answer. It never did. Like so many times before, he hadn't been able to enter the state that brought the future into his view. It was as if dark clouds hid everything from him, veiled the future so that he could not see.

Kota's words still rang in his ears.  _And Vader won't always be your master._

He tried to rationalise it. Of course Vader would not always be his Master. One day he would be a Sith Master himself. Perhaps not in the way the Sith code required, but he would be equal to Darth Vader. Once he had fulfilled his destiny.

"Master Kota had a vision," he confessed. "About me, I think."

"What did he see?" Vader wanted to know. His voice was a deep and demanding, the kind you could not refuse to.

"I don't know," Starkiller exhaled. "He said he could see me. That you hadn't turned me, and that you wouldn't always be my Master. That my fate lies elsewhere. He said he could sense someone else. He talked of the dark side and himself. And I saw...a forest. And snow. I've never been to those places."

"Kota was trying to fool you," Master Vader said instantly. "Evidently he succeeded."

"He– I did feel it," he insisted. "He saw something. Whatever it was, he believed it was the will of the Force."

Vader thought of his words for several breathing cycles.

"The future is in constant motion," his Master eventually said. "Whatever Master Kota saw is only one outcome of your fate. Perhaps he was predicting your failure."

"I know my future," Starkiller vowed, anger flaring in his eyes. How could his Master doubt him? "I will serve you, I will learn the ways of the dark side. I  _will_  kill the Emperor. I will _not_  fail."

"Then your destiny remains the same," the Dark Lord stated and strode away.

Starkiller watched him go, but waited until he left the hall before standing up himself. PROXY still lay on the floor behind him.

"Marvellously fought, master!" the droid complimented when the apprentice turned around to look at him. Starkiller suppressed a smile and helped the droid up. At least PROXY thought he'd done okay.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. But I'm sorry to have failed you again, master," PROXY said with regret. "I was certain I would have succeeded this time!"

"I'm sure there'll be other times," Starkiller told and patted the droid's shoulder affectionately. As bizarre it must have seemed, he missed this part of PROXY on Tatooine. Training was never the same when the genuine threat of death was gone. PROXY's naïve attitude towards killing his master worried Aunt Beru, and his good-natured comments on how he would certainly kill Starkiller the next time always made Luke uneasy. PROXY still ambushed him as often as he could, but on Tatooine it was shared attention for both him and Luke, and he wasn't allowed to kill them.

"Is it true you did not kill Rahm Kota, master?" PROXY asked.

"Yes..." he admitted downheartedly, glancing at the direction his Master had walked to. "I'm surprised he wasn't angrier."

"You lied to me, master."

"Sorry, PROXY," he apologised. "But I think you might understand why I did."

"That's not good at all," the droid chided. "You were willing to lie to Lord Vader."

"I'm no less loyal to him," Starkiller snapped. "I don't care what Kota said or thought he saw. I  _know_  my destiny. Just because some old Jedi thinks he saw my future doesn't mean I'm going to believe it. What does Kota know of me, anyway? He probably thinks I'm a brainwashed slave like Palpatine's Hands, but he's wrong. This is my life's work, this is what I was born to do!"

"Yes. And I believe you are closing the completion of your primary programming."

Starkiller sighed. At least he could always count on the droid for believing in him. "Thanks, PROXY."

Now that he was here it all seemed so straightforward and clear. He knew who he was, he knew what his destiny was. But out there... Sometimes he wondered what his "primary programming" truly was. Luke was like a brother to him, and Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen were almost like parents he never had. He would never allow any harm come to them. But at times he feared whether his Master had discarded him. What if he had turned from an almost apprentice to a babysitter? What if he'd become truly disposable? He knew he'd always been disposable, but it had always been in his own hands. As long as he could live up to Lord Vader's expectations he had a future. But now...Vader had Luke.

Luke's connection to the Force was so strong and he learnt so fast. What if when Luke's training was complete, Vader would decide he didn't need Starkiller anymore? And why would he, when the alternative was his own son?

Despite the constant fear that would never truly leave him, and the occasional pangs of jealousy and envy, he pushed those feelings away and hid them into the furtherest corners of his heart. He cared for Luke deeply. Luke was his silly little brother, always head in the clouds, impatient to learn or listen. No matter what the future held, he would never betray Luke.

* * *

Juno lay in the bed, awake despite it was already late by the Imperial standard time and she had felt exhausted when she'd slipped under the duvet. Starkiller had been right. The bed here was a lot nicer than on  _Rogue Shadow_. The shower had been fantastic, too.

After a very brief, but restoring visit to the refresher in her appointed quarters, Juno had waited in full alert to leave within a minute should Starkiller contact her. When he did and informed they'd be staying for two days, she wasn't sure what to do. Based on what she'd eavesdropped, she had expected they would leave immediately. She had made effort to sound completely professional, but she was curious of course. Clearly Starkiller wanted to make sure she would not run into Lord Vader. Not that she wanted to meet the man, either, but keeping secrets from her employer, an employer who would have no problem killing her, unnerved her. And what if she was right, and the assassin and his brother truly meant harm to Emperor Palpatine?

By now she was half convinced she had made up the whole thing. It made no sense, and she had no proof. She didn't dare to approach Lord Vader. She must have misunderstood it somehow. Even if there truly was a conspiracy, as long as Starkiller and Skywalker were together with her, neither could act against the Empire. If there was a conspiracy, she would find proof.

If she wasn't thinking of them, she thought of Callos –couldn't help but to wonder what Lord Vader and other of her superiors truly thought of her. It bothered her that the droid knew. When Lord Vader had given her this mission, he had told her others might consider it a reward should they know, but it felt like a punishment. She believed it a punishment.

The bombing of Callos haunted her. It hadn't been right. If she would just have continued the attack like told to, instead of taking Lord Vader's other alternative —an alternative she had thought more merciful, Callos might still be habitable. All those people would still be dead, but at least she wouldn't have destroyed an entire biosphere. If she could go back... But no. Even if she could go back, she would have done it. She would have done her duty. She always did.

Frustratedly she turned on her back. How long had she been lying down? It felt like hours. She would never fall asleep at this rate, not if she kept thinking of ifs and conspiracies. She needed to relax.

Closing her eyes she sighed and slowly slipped her hand between her legs. Slowly, gently at first she stroked through the fabric of her pyjama trousers. Juno imagined strong arms holding her, hands gently feeling her body, a warm breath against her neck right below the ear. She groaned softly, just to hear her own voice, and spread her legs a little more as she moved her hand under the trousers. The hair tickled her palm.

He would take her gently, lovingly, she decided. Tonight she wanted to take it slowly, wanted to savour the sensation as long as possible. Her free hand lifted the shirt with it as she caressed her belly and all the way up between her breasts. She imagined how the man would undress her, how he would trail kisses down her body. His thumb would tease her nipple, just as hers was doing now. Dark hair not quite long enough to cover his ears. Eyes equally dark that would look at her with want and adoration. His voice would whisper her name.  _Juno..._ He had a strong jawline. A thick crease ran between his eyebrows, for his expression remained stern even now. Harsh, yet oddly handsome features. If only he smiled...

She halted as she realised her imagination had given him Starkiller's face. Hesitating, she bit her lip. Men like him who travelled across the galaxy on mysterious missions probably laid with a different woman each time, she thought with disdain. And she did not want to think about Vader's agent, not now.

But...it was true she found him somewhat attractive. She wondered if Starkiller had scars other than those she'd seen on his face. He would have, she decided.

Juno wetted her lips. Why not, she thought. The assassin may not have been pleasant in person, but his likeness suited her fantasy. And it added an extra kind of thrill to it. It wasn't exactly proper, was it? She found she liked the idea too much to care.

She slept well that night.

* * *

Darth Vader paced alone the bare corridors. Hands clasped behind his back, his endless breathing echoing from the empty walls, he pondered the situation. Starkiller's failure had come as a complete surprise to him. Although he would never say it, he had believed Starkiller to beat Rahm Kota easily. After his initial anger had died down, he became curious to find out why. Had he truly underestimated the boy's abilities so greatly? Was the training Starkiller received on Tatooine inadequate? Was his apprentice making progress slower than he had estimated?

Although he constantly made threats on the boy's life, the truth was he could not afford to lose his apprentice. He needed to know why Starkiller had failed to decide upon his next course of action. If the boy's skills weren't enough to kill an old, bitter man, Vader would not dare to risk the apprentice's life by sending him to face the mad Kazdan Paratus.

Of course, should Starkiller fail, there were others. But none so serious, and none of them secret from Sidious. They were all excellent potential apprentices, some more than others. One especially excelled above the others, but even she was no match for the raw power Starkiller possessed.

For now, he would test the boy. In two days time he would decide what to do. Either he would keep him here training, send him back to Tatooine or, should Starkiller prove him wrong, send him to continue the Jedi hunt.

It wasn't just any Jedi hunt, either. He had planned for months how to execute this. These were to be his final tests for Starkiller's skills and loyalty. It would be disappointing to be wrong about the boy he'd been training for over fifteen years, but he could be patient with this. Few more years of training would be nothing. Yet now, as the Death Star was closing to its completion, would have been an ideal moment to really start planning the assassination. But if Starkiller wasn't ready... He could not risk it. He could not face Sidious, if he could not rely on his apprentice. Loathe as he might to admit it, he needed the boy, not only as a weapon, but as protection. He was well aware of his own vulnerabilities because of the cursed life support system.

He needed to test Starkiller himself, and the best way to start was to see how he fought. So he had given PROXY instructions to use his Rahm Kota module. Because telekinesis was something Kota apparently utilised often, Vader had observed the duel nearby and added an extra dash of realism to it in a way the combat droid could not provide.

His apprentice did not let him down. He fought with ferocious speed and accuracy, far better than Vader would've expected considering he had failed. He drew his power from the dark side, he committed himself to it fully. His attacks were fierce and precise, his reflexes quick and unmatched by PROXY who could not see the attacks beforehand like a Force sensitive could. While the droid did gain an upper hand several times, Starkiller was never truly in danger of losing. He even went as far as to protect PROXY from Vader's attempted distractions. The heated duel was fought in less than fifteen minutes. His apprentice unarmed the droid and killed the hologram. Even with his "enemy" dead at his feet he did not lose focus, and easily deflected Vader's final telekinetic attack.

PROXY of course was a far cry from reality, but Vader himself had programmed the droid. It had the capabilities to be just as deadly as his own training droids were, except that PROXY was far more adaptable and sophisticated.

So the problem certainly did not lie in Starkiller's physical abilities. Something unexpected must have happened. After seeing Starkiller defeat PROXY, he was certain it had to have been more than exhaustion because of Kota's pitiful army. Starkiller may have been inexperienced at fighting true Jedi Masters, scarce as they were, but Vader had thought him ready to face one. He still remained certain the boy could have killed Rahm Kota.

 _That you wouldn't always be my master_ , Starkiller had said.  _That my fate lies elsewhere._

Kota's alleged vision didn't worry him, but he would meditate on it. Darth Vader knew better than to dismiss a vision, and he knew how real they could become. But whatever it had been, Vader had no reason to doubt Starkiller's loyalty. Kento Marek's son still feared him, still idolised and respected him. And having sent the boy to Tatooine had come with an added bonus: he had grown to care for his adoptive family. It secured his loyalty better than fear of execution ever would.

Perhaps it was other kind of motivation the boy now needed. He knew well that Starkiller regarded himself an apprentice, yet Darth Vader had never acknowledged this notion. The desire to be recognised for what he was drove his apprentice to succeed and overcome each obstacle Vader would throw in his path. Vader had never praised the boy, had never encouraged him, so he would not grow too confident or proud, or think of himself too important. Vader had needed the boy to believe he was expendable. Devotion and loyalty he had inspired by fear, by isolating the child from the world. But all that had changed when Fett had found Obi-Wan. Undoubtedly the life on Tatooine had softened Starkiller, but on the other hand it must have taught him lessons Vader could not have provided.

There was in fact very little he could teach to the boy anymore. All Starkiller needed now was experience to hone his skills to perfection. Vader's hand brushed against the lightsaber hilt. Perhaps it was time.


	4. IV

Stars and the moons shone brightly on the pitch black sky above Tatooine's endless wastes of sand and rock. The day's heat had escaped, and dry wind felt cold against Luke's cheeks. With no fire, no glowrods or lights from the towns anywhere near them the sky seemed endless. It blended seamlessly into the horizon, making it impossible to tell where the land turned into space. Once he would've feared the night, but now the darkness surrounding them filled him with calm.

Even here the night wasn't entirely silent. If he concentrated, he could here the small insects and lizards that emerged from their daily hiding places when the suns were down. He could hear the leathery wings of flying creatures hunting them. Once in a while a high pitched shriek carried across the dunes far from the south.

"Krayt dragon," he said.

"Hmm," Galen replied without opening his eyes. He lay on his side, thermal blanket tightly wrapped around him.

"You think it's coming here?

"Maybe," Galen murmured sleepily. "They're said to be attracted to dark side."

"We're a pretty interesting to it then."

"The abandoned Tusken camp is more alluring. Go to sleep."

Luke turned his head to look at his brother, but Galen didn't move or open his eyes. Only his face peeked from inside the covers. He looked calm and at the verge of sleep, but Luke knew he could get up in full alert and ready to slay any enemy that'd dare to disturb his slumber. He didn't worry about the krayt dragon, though. He would've been happy to see such a legendary creature. Tuskens were said to hunt them as a rite of passage. But it was far, far away from them. Even if he closed his eyes and spread his awareness he couldn't have said where it was. There was no one here but them. Not even PROXY accompanied them this time. Two days ago they'd driven far, far away from all settlement to practise in peace with no worry of prying eyes.

It was near impossible to practise anything physical during the hottest hours of the day, but they'd sparred late into the night before camping here by the mesas. Tomorrow they'd have to drive back. Luke would have to go back to school. Galen was lucky enough to be older. Despite his late start, he had graduated among with his peers. Maybe in a month's time they could come back for a few days again. Unless his father would have a mission for Galen. Even here Galen made sure to constantly be at a comcall's reach, should Erv alert him.

Luke sighed and raised his gaze to the stars again. As a child he had tried to count them, had tried to imagine how many planets there were around them. He could point the nearby systems from the sky, but most of the stars were mysteries to him. He felt very small, lying here on the sand and staring into the vastness of the space. It filled him with strange, empty longing. He'd been born somewhere out there, but since then he'd never set his foot off Tatooine. Even a trip to one of the moons with Biggs hadn't work out in the end.

 _One day_ , he reminded himself, folding his arms behind his head. Once Galen had completed his training. Once he had completed his own training. Then they'd go out there together. They'd march to Coruscant, they'd slay the evil Emperor. They'd be heroes and then he could go to all those places he'd dreamt of. Then he'd, too, get to have all those amazing adventures Galen had.

Luke reached out his hand. The sky seemed to be so close he could wrap his fingers around the stars and pull them down. So close, yet so far. He flattened his palm against the stars and watched them twinkle between his fingers.

"I can't wait to get out of here."

"I can't wait for you to sleep," Galen muttered.

"One day, when we're old and I'll be the Emperor," he began, ignoring his brother. "You'll be there with me, right?"

"I will."

"You'll be my right hand."

Galen hummed in agreement.

"We'll go form the edge of the galaxy to another and conquer everything in between."

Galen smirked, half asleep. "We'll be unstoppable."

* * *

Starkiller had very little time to think of his failure, Luke or even his new pilot. All his time awake was consumed by rigorous training. Now, only hours before his Master would take his leave, Starkiller knelt waiting for Lord Vader's decision. He would be sent to kill the Jedi on Raxus Prime –or back to Tatooine.

He had done more than his best. During these two days, he had given everything he had to prove his Master he was capable. He was confident he had proven himself.

Once again Lord Darth Vader faced the viewport watching the faraway stars. What he saw there, Starkiller didn't know. Perhaps he just preferred the view to his not quite an apprentice. He knelt in silence for a long time, so long that once Vader finally spoke he jerked a little, having momentarily forgotten where he was.

"I have come to a conclusion," Darth Vader announced, but still he would not turn to look at him. Starkiller fought not to smile. Master would surely send him to Raxus Prime.

"You will not face Kazdan Paratus."

Starkiller's heart sunk and it took him great effort not to let the disappointment show on his face. "But Mast–"

He closed his mouth at the warning pressure on his throat. Vader turned around, so he bowed his head down. "As you wish, my Master.

He inhaled sharply as he heard his Master ignite his lightsaber, and his heart sank further still. Had he disappointed his Master so thoroughly? He looked up and watched as Vader approached. He couldn't have moved, even if he would've wanted to. He had told himself he would show no fear, but it must have been evident in his eyes. The red blade rose as his Master got closer, it pointed straight at his face, and he had to lift his head and lean back so it would not pierce his face.

All he saw was red. The blade was so close between his eyes he could feel its heat. He feared it might burn off his eyebrows. He swallowed, fighting to keep his body from trembling. He closed his eyes. He was ready. He'd been ready to die for a long time, he realised. There was a part of him that urged him to plunge himself into the blade. But Starkiller wouldn't. It was Vader who had started this, had given him his life. It would be only right for Vader to be the one to take it as well.

"I've watched you very carefully these two days," the Dark Lord said. "Indeed you are strong in the Force. The dark side has made you powerful. You've come far from where you started. You were but a weak child when I found you, but against all odds you have survived."

Starkiller opened his eyes, but the blade was still there. What was happening? It had sounded like Master Vader was complimenting him. But that never happened. Master  _never_  told him he'd done well. What kind of ruse was this? Was Vader trying to push him to overestimate himself?

Or had he truly been redeemed? But if so, why punish him by not letting him go after Kazdan Paratus?

"Your training is nearly complete."

His lips parted in surprise as Vader lowered the blade towards his chin. He could feel his Master's eyes meet his behind the black mask.

"There is but one final test," Darth Vader revealed and moved the lightsaber over his shoulder. It hummed only few centimetres from Starkiller's ear. He didn't dare to move. He was too shocked for words. Maybe Vader's words were meant as comforting lies right before his death. Maybe his Master was only saying such things because the moment he'd think he was safe the lightsaber would behead him. He wished he was wrong. He didn't want a kind death.

"Your anger makes you strong." As he spoke, Vader slowly moved the blade over Starkiller's head and onto his other shoulder. "The dark side truly is your ally."

The blade was moved back to the left shoulder, then deactivated.

"Rise, my apprentice."

Stunned and numb Starkiller did. He feared his knees would give out, but from the outside he was as stoic as ever. His mouth felt dry as he replied: "What is your will, my Master?"

"You will face your deadliest enemy yet."

"The Emper–"

"No," Darth Vader cut him off aggressively.

"But I'm ready," Starkiller insisted. Hadn't it just been proven? Hadn't Vader just knighted him? Hadn't he just finally accepted him as his true apprentice? "I'm ready now, Master! Together we  _can_  take him!"

"I will decide when you are ready," Vader stated, anger staining each word. His dark, overwhelming presence washed all over Starkiller, reminding him of how insignificant and small and weak he ultimately still was.

"You failed to defeat the real Rahm Kota. Your skills may be impressive, but you have not faced a true Jedi Master yet."

"Then let me prove my worth. Let me kill Master Paratus," Starkiller urged.

"Master Paratus is none of your concern anymore. He is a mad man tinkering with his droids. He is no threat to the Empire. Facing him would be waste of our time. You will go to Felucia instead."

"Felucia?" Starkiller echoed in confusion. His snapped his teeth together when he realised he'd said it out loud. He bowed slightly from the waist. "Who is it?"

"Master Shaak Ti. One of the last of the Jedi Council. She is not alone. Over the years she's gathered an army of local Force sensitives and trained them."

Starkiller scowled. "No doubt she plans to have her pawns killed to wear me off while she hides somewhere safe. She's a coward."

"A tactician who doesn't hesitate to sacrifice her subjects for what she believes is for the greater good," Lord Vader corrected him. "You will need mastery of everything I have taught you to defeat her. You need full control of the dark side. Only then are you ready to face our true enemy."

"Yes, my Master."

"This is your final test. Do not fail me this time."

"I won't, I swear," Starkiller vowed. He turned to leave, but right before the doors closed behind him, he turned to look at his Master. "I will bring you her lightsaber."

The doors did not open again, nor did his Master acknowledge his words in any manner. It didn't matter. He would do as he had promised. He would not fail this time.

Starkiller had nothing to pack. He had all the essentials on the  _Rogue Shadow_ , as well as here in his room. He dialled Juno. It took her less than ten seconds to pick up.

"Juno, we're leaving. Pack your things, I'm coming there to show you back to the ship."

"Roger, I'll be ready to leave in two minutes."

She was dressed in her uniform, hair neatly done and ready when Starkiller arrived. They made their way to the  _Rogue Shadow_ , where PROXY awaited them.

"Is Lord Vader still here?" Juno asked curiously while Starkiller keyed the entrance code to the landing ramp.

"Yes, but he's leaving, too."

"What did you even do here for two days?" she asked. She would have been bored out of her mind had she not had a computer full of Holodramas. As her mission was top secret, she was strictly forbidden from making any contact with her friends or even logging in on Holonet as herself. She had binge watched almost two seasons of that popular Coruscanti holodrama her rare girl friend at the army had recommended ages ago. She hadn't been wrong. It was just as funny as she had told her, and quite action packed, too. Sadly the two-hour Empire Day special episode would have to wait, as duty now called.

"None of your business," Starkiller replied bluntly. He'd softened a bit towards the woman, but he didn't trust her. She was his pilot, not his friend.

"Alright, sorry I asked," Juno said defensively. She couldn't bring herself to trust him, either. Not after what she'd heard. "I'll prepare the ship."

Starkiller watched her walk up the ramp. PROXY followed her, presumably to inform her of their coordinates. He closed his eyes an reached out in the Force carefully. His Master was still somewhere on the Star Destroyer. His presence was hard to miss.

The apprentice boarded  _Rogue Shadow_  and closed the ramp behind him. He needed to focus. This was his most important mission yet. And he was determined that nothing would come between him and success.

Once the engines started it didn't take long until the  _Rogue Shadow_  was hundreds of kilometres away from the Star Destroyer's hull. The hyperdrive hummed and they jumped to light speed.

"So, what's on Felucia?" Juno wanted to know. She'd pulled some basic information about the planet along with the coordinates, but Starkiller informed her he'd familiarise himself with the planet later.

"A Jedi Master I'm going to deliver to justice."

"What about Skywalker?" she asked cautiously.

"He'll have to stay onboard until I'm done on Felucia. But after that we'll have to figure out a way to get him out. I'm not risking taking him to Scarl again," Starkiller told. "I'll go see what he's up to. I'm sure you and PROXY will do just fine without me."

Once in the corridor, out of anyone's view, Starkiller leant against the wall. He swallowed, allowing his feelings finally wash over him.

_My apprentice._

He could still almost hear the lightsaber next to his ear.  _Finally. Finally, finally, finally!_

A joyous smile curled his lips and he felt like laughing. There was a fluttering feeling in his stomach, his heart beat and the blood rushed in his ears so fast he felt like he could hear his own heartbeat. It was all he had ever wanted. Or not quite, but knowing he would never be the same as Luke, it was the next best thing.

He was officially an apprentice! He could hardly believe it. What if he had dreamt it? What if he had misunderstood?

He straightened himself in an attempt to get himself together, but the giddy feeling would not leave him. It wasn't very Sith-like to have shaky hands because of something like this. Yet the smile still tugged at the corners of his lips despite his best efforts. He breathed out and made sure his face was neutral before stepping into the training room. Luke sat on the other side of the room, next to the wall. His eyes were closed and it looked like he was deep in meditative trans.

"Finally" Luke muttered, loud enough for him to hear it. He peered his eyes open slowly and stood up to greet him.

"What took you so long? I've been bored to death..!" he moaned. He stopped in the middle of the room, crossed his arms and frowned at him. Starkiller's composed mask didn't fool Luke.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked grumbly.

"I–I think he just knighted me," Starkiller blurted out faintly.

Luke's jaw dropped. "Knighted?"

Starkiller nodded faintly. "He put a blade over my shoulder and to the other and back. He called me an  _apprentice_."

All hostility in Luke's mannerism was dropped instantly. For a moment he just stood, letting the knowledge sink in. Then, without a warning, he lunged at his brother and jumped to hug him, nearly toppling them both on the floor.

"That's amazing!" he beamed, hanging onto his brother with both arms thrown around him and feet off the floor. "Stars, that's so prime!"

"Stop it, let me go," Starkiller grunted, trying hard to keep his balance with Luke dangling on him. But it was hard not to be affected by Luke's genuine happiness for him. His brother dropped back on the floor, only to squeeze him tighter. Galen sighed and wrapped his arms around Luke awkwardly, allowing himself to smile a little. "Thanks..."

Luke let go. His eyes sparked with excitement and a wide smile spread across his face. He seemed to be expressing all the feelings Starkiller felt deep inside, but didn't dare to, didn't even know how to show.

"We have to tell Uncle and Aunt!" Luke exclaimed. "We'll have a party when you come back home. Erv will come, too. And we'll go to Bestine with Aunt Beru to get something real special. Like those Ooo-temiuk style cakes you really like. Some drinks from the Core! Biggs says he knows someone who sells liquors they import to Vensenor Flight Academy on Arkanis," he blabbered.

"We're not buying alcohol that was stolen from the Empire," Starkiller disapproved amusedly.

"Who cares, you've earned it," Luke smiled. "I'll compensate them when I'm the Emperor one day. Oh, but you'll want to tell them yourself, right?"

"I don't really care either way," Starkiller said as if it wasn't a big deal or anything.

"Well, if you're sure then I'll tell them and we'll have party waiting for you when you get back," Luke decided.

"I don't think there's a need for a party, " Starkiller said uneasily. What would Master Vader think of that?

"Of course we'll have a party, this is important," Luke argued. "You've been waiting for this.  _I've_  been waiting for this."

"I don't think Lord Vader would approve..." Starkiller pointed out carefully.

Luke waved his hand dismissively. "He's not invited. He should've named you an apprentice long time ago."

Starkiller looked away. He agreed, but it would've felt like betrayal to voice his opinion now. Who was he to question Darth Vader's decisions? Besides, what mattered was that Vader had finally, after all these years, acknowledged Starkiller's position as his apprentice.

Luke's hands clasped his shoulders and he looked at him with a concerned expression: "So is this it? Are you gonna kill the Emperor now?"

Starkiller pulled away and shook his head. "He doesn't think I'm ready."

"But...you just said–"

"I know. But he still wants to test me."

Luke looked just as disappointed as he had felt. "Oh... So what now?"

"We're going to Felucia."

Luke's brows furrowed. "Felucia? Never heard."

"Thanium sector in the Outer Rims. I'll have to check what kind of a place it is."

"Are we hunting a Jedi again?"

" _We_  aren't hunting anything," Starkiller corrected. He straightened his back proudly. "I, however, am going to kill a Jedi Council member."

Luke oohed excitedly. "Which one?" he immediately wanted to know.

"Shaak Ti."

"Oh, she's a Togruta, isn't she? Togrutas have more senses than Humans have," Luke apprised. "I think it's echolocation? But she's got to be really old by now. You'll take her down easily."

"She's a very powerful Jedi Master," Starkiller reminded. "So you're staying onboard like last time, and once I'm done we'll figure a way to get you back home."

"No, can't I stay here?" Luke pleaded. "Please? I stayed here and hid myself just like I said I would. Father had no idea I was here!"

"That's only because I had something else to tell him when he asked why I was distracted," Starkiller grimaced.

"What do you mean..?" The feelings he got from Galen confused and worried him. Just moments ago he'd been so happy and proud, but now... He felt fear and irritation and...shame?

"Nothing that'd be important," Starkiller dismissed. He didn't want to admit his failure to Luke. At least not yet. One day, maybe, but not now. Not when it was still so raw and awful to think about. "You can't stay here when I go back."

"No. I know you," Luke insisted. "Something's wrong, something's bothering you."

"It's nothing."

"Tell me."

"I said it's nothing," Starkiller snapped at him.

"It's not nothing!" Luke argued, refusing to back down. "You can't hide your feelings from me. I know something's wrong. Talk to me. I want to help you."

"Then shut up and leave me alone. I need to be prepared to face Shaak Ti," the apprentice snarled. He shoved past Luke and stalked towards his little bedroom.

Luke pursed his lips stubbornly and followed, slipping in right before the door closed. "Galen, I'm not gonna drop this. What's wrong?"

His brother slumped on the bed, pressing his face against his palms with a heavy sigh. Luke sat next to him, fingers nervously digging around his knees.

"Please," he asked. For a long time, neither said a word. His brother wouldn't look up at him, and Luke was determined not to leave until he knew what it was that hurt his brother so badly. He could feel the hurt as a distant ache through the bond they shared.

"It's Kota," Galen suddenly confessed, eyes closed and face still buried in his hands.

"What about him?"

Galen let out a wavering breath. "I failed."

The torrent of emotion that carried across the Force hit Luke like physical punch in the gut. The way how Galen's voice nearly cracked slashed like hot blade in Luke's heart.

"No," he gasped. "No, you had his lightsaber!"

It could not be true, it just couldn't. His brother  _never_  failed.

"But I don't know if he's dead," Galen exclaimed brittlely.

"You killed him. You said you did. Of course he's dead," Luke tried to reason.

Galen shook his head. Slowly, torturously he began to explain. He described the visions he saw, he repeated Kota's words. He told how instead of killing Kota quickly he had arrogantly wanted to bask in the moment. He spoke of his confession to Vader, and of everything it led to. Not once did he turn to look at Luke. He was far too ashamed. Silence fell between them once he finished.

Luke didn't know what to say. Saying he was sorry wouldn't help at all. Saying it didn't matter would be denying the truth. Assuring him he'd do better the next time would only have Galen scoff at him that of course he would. So Luke said nothing. He placed his hand on his brother's shoulder to offer him silent reassurance. He felt Galen tense. He didn't like being touched. Or rather, he seemed to like it after a moment or two of confusion. Touch always seemed to surprise him, but Galen didn't pull away.

Luke pulled his hand back and stood up. "Should I go?"

Galen shook his hanging head. "No, don't. It's..." He closed his eyes and raised his head to face Luke. When he opened his eyes, the shame and hurt and despair were gone. Only determination defined his features. "I can't wallow in self-pity. I failed. Now I have to use it to succeed."

Luke could feel the dark lump of self-loathing within his brother spark into cold anger. It was good. Anger was good. You could defeat an enemy with anger. Galen would need it to defeat Shaak Ti.

He hit the door panel to open it, and stood in the doorway with a smug grin on his face. Lightning played between his fingers. "Come on then and show me how it's done."

"You won't stand a chance," Galen smirked. He was up and on his feet quicker than Luke could back away from the door. He yelped, but it was delighted sound of childish excitement. He made his escape to the training room, gathering the prickling energy in his hand. The crackling blue lightning illuminated the dimly lit room with eerie light as they shot across the air.

Galen's hands reached towards them, holding them at bay, sucking the energy carefully until nothing but tiny, glowing orbs hovered above his palms.

"You're gonna have to do a lot better than that," Galen announced. He pushed forward, mighty lightnings shooting from his hands, filling the air with pungent smell of ozone. Luke grunted, just barely able to keep the electric current from going right through him. And he knew Galen wasn't even being serious yet. This room was far too small for either of them to be serious.

Back home they'd gone far in the rocky hills and mesas, away from all settlements. When night fell they'd shot their lightnings far into the sky, just to see how far they would go. How powerful they could make them. Galen had so much more control over them. Luke's were just as deadly, but far from the preciseness of Galen's. Nor were his quite as powerful as Galen's, but they wouldn't need to be to kill just the same.

Later it turned out they weren't quite as far away from the settlements as they should have been. Turned out half of the population living in the area had seen their show in the horizon and it had been all over the local news the next day. People kept talking about this peculiar display of nature for weeks. Uncle Owen hadn't been impressed.

Galen's lightning died down and Luke grinned at him. When they were kids they used to run around the yard, firing Sith lightning at each other, giggling and laughing as they did. They'd howled with laughter at Aunt Beru's face when she saw Galen writhing on the ground while Luke pretended to electrocute him to death. No matter how much they'd tried to convince Aunt Beru it was all games and the lightnings only tickled and nipped a little she'd remained unconvinced. This was something else, though it was still just a game between two brothers.

When they arrived to Felucia, Galen felt readier than ever. They all gathered to the cockpit by Luke's request. To him, approaching yet another planet was nothing new, but to Luke it was a rare novelty. Sneaking on the  _Rogue Shadow_  was after all his first time travelling in space.

The blue-green planet hanging against the black void of space was filled with life. They both could feel it radiating strongly in the Force. But it was horribly unbalanced.

Luke lent over Juno's chair and tried to see everything she and PROXY on the co-pilot's seat did. Starkiller sat behind them, rolling his eyes at his brother's enthusiasm.

"I'm going to kill the engines now," Juno explained. "You've got to approach the gravity wall carefully. Too fast and we'll plummet like a comet."

She turned to speak to him over her shoulder: "Felucia in range."

"Readings?" Starkiller inquired.

Juno glanced at PROXY's monitors. "Can't see any major settlements, but the life signs are overwhelming the scanners. I've no idea where to land."

"I'll tell you."

"Oh, can I?" Luke requested quickly. "Please?"

Starkiller shrugged. "Sure. Since you're here you might as well practice."

"Okay." Luke inhaled deeply and closed his eyes in concentration. Juno frowned, first looking at Luke, then at him questioningly. She appeared a little spooked, but Starkiller had no intention to explain. She straightened her back and turned back at the console, hopefully having concluded it was none of her business.

He closed his eyes as well and reached into the Force. The planet underneath pulsed with life. The Force was strong here.

"There," Luke announced after a while. Starkiller's eyes snapped open and he stood up to see where Luke was pointing.

"Here, on the equator."

His brother turned to look at him, waiting for his approval. He nodded. "Juno, take us there."

"What is there, exactly?" she asked.

"My next target. Keep us cloaked and take me down."

She nodded and eased forward on the throttle. Luke's eyes were instantly back on what she was doing.

Starkiller had never understood Luke's passion for machinery and flying. Perhaps it ran in the family, seeing Vader apparently shared these traits, albeit behaving more maturely about it. The mental image of his Master fussing over flight controls like Luke was, was both disturbing and amusing. He pulled the hood deeper over his head to hide his face.

Turbulence shook the ship once they arrived to the cloud level. Luke gasped at the sight of giant, colourful fungi that covered the planet. It took Juno several tries to land the  _Rogue Shadow_  steadily on a mushroom cap.

"Well that was something," she sighed with relief once she was sure they were stable.

Starkiller got up, shrugging off the black robe. It would only hinder him here. "Lower the ramp. Wait for me here."

He gave Luke a long, warning look. "Stay here."

His brother rolled his eyes. "I can take care of myself."

"There's not much for us to do here..." Juno commented.

"Just wait," Starkiller told bluntly. With no further words or goodbyes he walked out of the cockpit. The ramp was lowered, and he stalked down onto the fungus and leapt into the jungle below.

"I'll be tracking your location, just in case," he heard Juno's voice in his ear via comlink.

"I know where I'm going," he replied. He could feel the Jedi, but she wasn't alone. The Felucian warriors were Force sensitives, too, and according to his Master, Shaak Ti had been training them. He ignited his lightsabre with a smirk. He was ready.

* * *

Juno leant her head against the headrest of her seat. "He doesn't seem to want my help."

Skywalker threw himself in the seat vacated by Starkiller, stretching his arms above and behind his head. "Nah, he's always like that. He's just concentrating on the mission."

"Would it kill him to smile even once?"

"It might," the boy chuckled. He straightened himself and looked at her eagerly. "So what do we do now?"

"I'll be keeping an eye on his and the enemies' movements, and try to be as much help as I can."

"Can I help?"

"Not really. Just sit back and relax. Maybe think of a way to get back to Tatooine," she suggested. She eyed at the scanners and the maps they were forming. The boy sighed dramatically at her suggestion. It was difficult to keep in mind this was the very same teenager she'd heard conspiring against the Emperor. She worked a long while in silence, watching Starkiller's movements. So far he hadn't met any heavy resistance, but the direction he was heading to had structures she assumed must have been settlements. She managed to locate several suspicious groups of Felucians, and informed Starkiller of them. The young man acknowledged her, but said nothing more. It had been well over an hour before the Felucians truly began to engage him.

"Starkiller. The enemy is closing in on you," she warned via comlink.

"I know. They're strong in the Force. I can sense them."

Luke watched the marks that indicated lifeforms the  _Rogue Shadow_ 's scanners picked. Three groups had Galen surrounded from all sides, but once they got closer, one by one, the scanners quickly lost track on them as they died. Another half an hour passed. It had been exciting and interesting the first time, but this time Luke was mostly horribly bored. As long as Shaak Ti remained hidden, he had no fear for his brother.

"The Felucians seem more organised that the Imperial records indicate," Juno remarked worriedly. "And more powerful."

"Shaak Ti's handiwork," Luke mused. He wondered if Felucians were naturally Force sensitive, or if Shaak Ti had somehow gathered all Force sensitive Felucians on the planet in this one place. They may have had advantage in numbers, but they seemed to be no match for Galen.

"Maybe..." Juno spoke, scrolling through the maps, "if we identified the leader. That might demoralise them."

"Shaak Ti is their leader," Luke reminded.

"Yes, but she must have someone leading the groups if she's not there herself."

Juno studied the monitors and the numerous lifeforms that littered the sensor created topographic map. Luke wasn't sure how Juno could tell which were Felucians and which were just large animals.

"They're trying to wear you off," Juno said to the comlink.

"I know," Galen's strained voice replied. "The ground is getting treacherous. There's...acid? Acid pools everywhere. Any readings?"

"I'll see what I can find," Juno promised. She was back to her maps and readings, and Luke sagged against the seat. This wasn't at all what he had envisioned when he decided to sneak onboard. He had thought Galen would let him follow more closely. He hadn't seriously entertained the thought of fighting alongside his brother, but he'd thought at least he could see what he was doing. Sitting here in the cockpit was incredibly boring now that the novelty had worn off. Long minutes passed with seemingly nothing happening.

"Master," PROXY, who had stayed silent so far, suddenly called. He sounded mischievous more than anything. "Scanners show a  _very_  large creature near your position."

Luke's eyes darted on the monitor.

"Yeah. I see it," Galen's voice replied. "It's hard to miss."

"There's more of them coming," PROXY warned. "Don't let them kill you, master. I still need to fulfil my primary programming."

"Your worry is touching, PROXY." From his voice, Luke could tell he was smiling. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance. I can feel them. Stay off the comm until I'm done with them. I don't want distractions."

"Good luck, master," the droid wished.

The comm went silent again. Whatever it was he was up against they indeed seemed large on based on the readings. Even so, just watching the monitors he didn't quite know how to read bored Luke. He wetted his lips and cleared his throat to catch Juno's attention.

"Do you mind if I go out? I swear I won't leave the ship out of my sight."

"I don't think it's a good idea," she said uneasily. She didn't like the idea of letting the boy out of her sight considering how important his safety seemed to be. "Starkiller said I'm responsible for you."

"Many lifeforms on Felucia are hostile to Humans," PROXY commented. The knowledge made Juno even more reluctant.

"I'll be careful," the boy promised. "And I'm not going to actually go anywhere. I just want to feel what it's like. I've never been on any other planet than Tatooine. PROXY, you know I can take care of myself," Skywalker argued, patting the lightsaber hilt on his belt.

"You've never been off Tatooine?" she gasped. Poor boy. She did feel a little sorry for him. "I guess it's alright... Just keep in mind that it's my head on the plate if you disappear or get yourself killed."

"I  _promise_  I'll be careful. Stars..." The boy got up and left the cockpit with a dramatic roll of his eyes.

Juno sighed as the door closed. She wished to be able to spy some more, but as long as the droid was with her, it was an impossibility. Starkiller wanted radio silence, and she had nothing to report to him in any case. All she could do was to monitor the situation. Unless...

"Well, PROXY... Just you and me then," she began.

"Yes, Captain Eclipse."

"Interesting masters you've got," she commented. The droid seemed indifferent towards its masters' behaviour. "Skywalker especially. Quite different from Starkiller."

"Perhaps it's because Lord Vader didn't program him," the droid replied.

"Program?" What an odd thing to say. "He programmed you?"

"He's the author for both my and Starkiller's systems. Perhaps Lord Vader can explain it better."

"Oh, I wouldn't like to bother him with that," she dismissed quickly. "What do you mean by programming?"

"Master Starkiller has been in Lord Vader's care since he was a child."

"Oh. So is... Is Lord Vader like his father?"

PROXY shook his head. He was very expressive for a droid. "Master has never referred to him as "father". Only as "master" or "teacher"."

She frowned, but it made more sense than her initial thought about Vader with a toddler. That didn't sound like a healthy combination. But then again, what did she really know about Darth Vader? Still, it was an outlandish thought if behind his public image he had been a caring father.

"How about Skywalker?" she wanted to know.

The droid turned to look at her. He spoke very seriously: "I'm not authorised to talk about Skywalker or his programming. It's top secret."

Juno swallowed. Even Starkiller seemed to be shrouded in mystery, and yet she knew even less about Skywalker. What was he?

"What about Starkiller, then?" she asked, pressing on with the subject despite dread spreading within her. She was on thin ice here. "What about his parents?"

"I don't know, Captain Eclipse."

"Has he never talked about them?"

"It's likely only Lord Vader knows," the droid said. "I believe such information has been expunged from my master's primary memory."

She hesitated, but she was curious and the droid didn't seem to mind sharing any of this information. As long as she didn't ask about Skywalker. But what the droid didn't know, was that she knew them to be brothers, so any information about Starkiller would inevitably be information about Skywalker as well.

"Does he have any other family? Friends? Girlfriends?"

"Lord Vader encourages him to lead a solitary life whenever he can. It's essential to his development."

Whenever he can. That didn't mean he hadn't had any opportunities to make friends.

"Development in what?" she asked, although she had an idea. A mysterious assassin. A Jedi killer and a spy to Vader. Was that what Skywalker was becoming, too? But why was he planning on murdering the Emperor?

"We're all servants to my master's Master," PROXY reminded her. It sounded like he was warning her to not carry on with this conversation. She swallowed and got up to straighten her uniform.

"Spot-on, PROXY. I'll–" She cut herself off as she saw something move in the corner off her eye. The scanner had picked something.

"Several lifeforms are coming this way," she pointed to PROXY. "Fast."

As she spoke, two of the lifeforms disappeared. Others continued towards their location.

"PROXY, keep an eye on them. I'll go get Skywalker inside."

"I advice caution," the droid said.

"I can look after myself," she replied, opening a hatch above the Captain's seat and removed her BlasTech pistol.

"One of your predecessors used the exact same words," PROXY remarked. "He was shot in the back by a Corellian gunrunner."

She paused for second, already halfway out of the cockpit and holster around her waist. Was the droid joking? Or was it just an innocent observation? Or worse –was she being provoked? She wanted to ask about her seven predecessors, but on the other hand, she never wanted to be reminded of the particular fact ever again.

She shook her head. "Just watch your own back. I've got my comlink. Keep an eye on that movement."

* * *

Starkiller had faced more resistance than he had expected. The size of Ti's army had taken him by surprise. He could feel her presence, but getting to her had proven a challenge.

And there was something else he felt. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it was an eerie premonition in his gut. It wasn't Ti and it wasn't her warriors. Whatever it was, he hadn't much time to focus on it. The Felucians had lightsaber resistant bone swords, and they knew how to use them, but their knowledge of the Force was nothing compared to his. Their attempts at telekinesis were clumsy, and they could not stop or even redirect his Sith lightnings.

The entire jungle of huge towering mushrooms around him was alive with the Force. That, too, served in his disadvantage in pinpointing the exact location of the Jedi Master. What a coward. She knew he was coming, yet she sent her helpless warriors at him instead of coming out of hiding herself. If she wanted to sacrifice more of her underlings, then so be it.

The air around him was hot and humid. The way his hair stuck on his forehead made him miss the times he'd kept his hair as short as possible. But it wasn't convenient on Tatooine. Hair protected his scalp from sunburns. He never let his hair become an unruly mop like Luke did, but it was long enough to protect the tip of his ears from the suns. And...though he loathed to admit it, longer hair was considered stylish on Tatooine and he did care of that a little. Camie said he ought to grow his hair even longer. Biggs had began growing a moustache. Fixer would've done it too had his whiskers agreed with him and grown as much as he wanted them to. They'd tried to get him try, too, but that was where Galen drew the line. He would not grow a beard or moustache in his twenties. At least Tank agreed with him, saying they were too young and handsome for facial hair.

His clothes, despite he had decided to wear as light clothes as possible, were equally sticking to his skin. He was muddy and bloody and sweaty all over. He had no time to think of it while fighting, but as soon as he could catch his breath it became impossible to ignore.

He'd thought now, after brutally breaking the spine of the last standing Felucian warrior that had attacked him on this clearing, he would have some time to advance in peace, but the way the ground shook spelt trouble. He could feel a presence of a large being coming his way. No. Several of them.

"Master," PROXY's voice called in his ear. His amused tone promised nothing good. "Scanners show a  _very_  large creature near your position."

Starkiller eyed at the creature emerging from the jungle. His grasp on the lightsaber hilt tightened. "Yeah. I see it."

The giant beast towered over him, its clawed fingers alone were the size of him. But it was just an animal with no one riding it.

"There's more of them coming," PROXY warned. "Don't let them kill you, master. I still need to fulfil my primary programming."

"Your worry is touching, PROXY," he said with dry amusement as he slowly backed away from the beast. It bared its teeth at him and roared.

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance," he assured his friend. "I can feel them. Stay off the comm until I'm done with them. I don't want distractions."

"Good luck, master," the droid wished just as the beast surged at him. Its massive hand tried to snatch him, but he was too quick for it. He managed to slash at it, but its skin was so thick it didn't even slow the beast down. It only howled at the pain and attacked him again, angered and confused by how such a small being could harm it. It clawed at him, so Starkiller jumped away. He locked the blade and threw it at the creature's head. The blade pierced through its cheek. It screeched in agony as Starkiller the called the 'sabre back. With the it confused, he jumped on top of it and stabbed the blade right through its skull, all the way down so that his hands holding the hilt touched the skin. They went down with a mighty thud, dust rising from the ground as Starkiller dropped and rolled safely from the beast's back.

He stood up, wiping his sweaty hair from his forehead with his dirty hand. His elbow was bleeding, but he made no note of it. Three more creatures had made their way to the clearing, and they were not happy to see their friend dead.

Starkiller reignited his weapon and surged an attack.

* * *

Luke inhaled deeply the scent of the new world. It was hard to find words to describe it. It was so unlike anything he'd ever seen, felt, heard or smelled. The colours were vibrant, the smells were rich. The whole planet was overwhelmingly alive. He could hear noises, presumably animals, coming from the jungle.

It was hot, but it was nothing like the heat on Tatooine. His clothes and hair stuck onto his skin. He had never experienced humidity like this. It was nothing like the humidity at Camie's parents' hydroponic gardens in Anchorhead.

Juno had landed  _Rogue Shadow_  onto a giant mushroom cap. Similar mushrooms covered the planet as far as he could see. He jumped to the nearest one, then to another. The spongy texture under his shoes gave away little at each step. Liquid oozed from the plants and there were insects everywhere. Many looked like they would burst if he touched them.

The Force was imbalanced. There was light and there was plenty of dark. Why they were called light and dark, he wasn't entirely sure. It wasn't like they were physically white and black. They were more like feelings and if they would be described by colours, there indeed were black and white, but also every possible shade of grey between them. Except here on Felucia the middle ground seemed to be largely missing.

He turned around to check he could still see the ship. He'd promised he wouldn't leave it out of his sight. Alas that meant he couldn't jump down and explore the planet better there.

"Skywalker!"

Juno ran from the ship. He felt the danger before he saw or heard it.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a Felucian jumped at him. He deflected the attack with his lightsaber. The weapon, whatever it was, resisted the blade, but Luke only needed to swing his weapon once to easily disarm him. He lifted the warrior in the air, stabbed him in the abdomen and pushed the body away.

Juno came running, blaster in her hand.

"We need to get back to the ship," she urged. "More are coming."

Luke could feel it. He ran towards Juno and the ship, lightsabre still ignited in his hand, when more warriors leapt up on the mushroom caps from the ground.

Juno grabbed his arm, aiming her weapon at the general direction of the enemy and dragged him towards the  _Rogue Shadow_.

They were on the ramp when he turned to look behind him. The warriors weren't after them. They were escaping, they were fighting someone else, but it wasn't Galen's presence he felt. Neither was it Shaak Ti, because at that moment the presence revealed itself.

A young woman wielding a violet lightsaber leapt on the cap. There was at least fifty metres between them by then, but Luke could've sworn their eyes met.

She was dressed in a black combat suit, her long red hair was undone and waved in the wind. She was a Force sensitive and for a moment, for a flicker of a second, Luke felt like there was no one else in the world but them. One moment their eyes were locked onto each other, the next she turned to protect herself from an attack. A Zabrak girl had leapt at her, ramming two green lightsabers against her blade. It didn't look like she was winning against the Zabrak Jedi, but she was still doing a fine job keeping her at bay.

Strangely enough Luke's first instinct was to go and help the Human girl, but Juno slammed her hand on the lock panel and the ramp retreated, sealing them back inside the  _Rogue Shadow_. The Captain wasted no time. She ran back into the cockpit, dragging Luke with him and seized the comlink.

"Eclipse to Starkiller," she called frantically.

Luke felt stunned. He realised his lightsaber was still ignited, and he deactivated it numbly, quickly following the Captain.

"I'm busy," Galen's voice replied.

"The Jedi is here."

* * *

The only way for the comcall to have come at a worse time would've been if he had been fighting Shaak Ti. This was nearly as inconvenient. The local warriors had him surrounded, there were more beasts and the ground was littered with the acid pools he'd encountered earlier.

"I'm busy," he grunted, hoping that whatever the Captain wanted to say could wait.

"The Jedi is here," her frantic voice cried in his ear.

"What?"

"The Jedi–"

"She's not a Jedi," Luke's voice interrupted. Damn that kid, he'd told him not to speak on the comm. "I don't think she is. Besides, there were two of them and neither was Shaak Ti. But they had lightsabers."

Not a Jedi female with a lightsaber. Two of them. It sounded like trouble.

"The other one might have been a Jedi, actually," Luke went on. "A Zabrak. They saw me with a lightsaber, but I swear I had no choice, but to use it!"

"What did she look like, the first one?" he asked, stabbing another warrior to death. The Jedi didn't worry him, but if the Human was not a Jedi... "Describe her, it's important."

"Uhh, Human, about my age, dressed in black, long red hair," Luke listed. "One violet lightsaber. Definitely a Force sensitive. Dark side user, I think. She handled the lightsaber okay, so she's definitely had some training. The Zabrak was better, though. I don't know, I didn't see her that well. Wait."

Starkiller could feel Luke trying to reach him through the Force, trying to sent a mental image for him to see, but he was too distracted by fighting at the same time that it was hard for him to grab a hold of it. He ran the description through his mind, trying to think of every single possible threat Vader had warned him of. There was only one that fit.

They were in trouble.

Kriff. He was too far. He probably wouldn't make it even if he turned back right now. If she contacted someone...

"The Zabrak girl was–"

"After her, quickly!" he shouted a command.

"What?" came Luke's confused reply.

"The Human. I know who she is. Go after her right now, before she can contact anyone. She's good, but she's no match to you."

"You want me to kill her..?"

"Yes, hurry up!"

"Alright, alright. Who is she?"

"She's Mara Jade, the Emperor's Hand."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was brainstorming for a place that’d be close to Tatooine, because why would anyone really export stuff to Tatooine if it wasn’t somewhere close? But I wanted Galen to like something that’s imported to Tatooine and thus maybe a little more expensive and special. So I was looking at the Essential Atlas for nearby planets, because I’m a total nerd, and checked what Wookieepedia said about these places. Eventually I felt like Ooo-temiuk would be fine since it was colonised by Rodians and it’s on Triellus Trade Route, just like Tatooine. I was chatting with my [friend](http://archiveofourown.org/users/pyou) and told her I settled for this place, to which she said it sounds like someone just saw a planet and went “oooooh!” So now my headcanon forever shall be that temiuk in Rodese means “a planet” and the settlers literally went “ooh, a planet!” when they found it and just kept calling it that.
> 
> I once saw a post on tumblr saying something like “why don’t fic writers ever post WIPs the way fanartists do”. Like when fanartists post those “this is how I made it” type of things. I can’t find the post anymore because stupidly I didn’t reblog it. If anyone can direct me to it, I’d be grateful. Anyway, I thought I’d do that. So, if you’re interested, [here’s](http://oi62.tinypic.com/rkoroy.jpg) what a part of this fic looked liked before some editing. :)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have time, please let me know what you think. :)
> 
> Also, I'd like to give a huge shutout to [Star_Struck](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Struck) for showing me her fanart and in general for being an amazing person. Thank you so much!


	5. V

Luke shoved the comlink back to Juno. "Open the ramp!"

He ran back and jumped down before the ramp even touched the ground. If Galen was right, and she was the Emperor's spy, they would all be dead if she managed to contact her Master. She may already have. From the little Luke had learnt of the Emperor's Hands from Galen (who had in turn learnt about them from Luke's father), he knew they were well trained in telepathic communication with Darth Sidious. They were all Force sensitives and taught to use it to a certain extent. Enough so that they would be dangerous, but not enough to pose a threat to the Emperor himself. They were blindly loyal and led to believe they were special.

Jade and the warriors led by the Zabrak girl had disappeared from the mushroom cap, but he could hear their voices. They were going away from the  _Rogue Shadow_  quickly. Luke ran on top of the caps as long as he could. Once beneath them, it became almost dark. The mushrooms blocked almost all the sunlight, but plants around illuminated the jungle with their eerie glow. Little by little the landscape changed. The vibrant colours were gone, replaced by grey. The ground was wet and he could smell rotting plants.

He ran towards the sounds of fighting, gripping tightly on his lightsaber hilt.

 _I must kill her, I must kill her_ , he repeated over and over again in his head, but underneath the urgency and purpose, fear gripped his throat. He had never fought against a lightsaber wielding foe. He told himself Galen knew better. Galen had said Mara Jade would be no match for him. But what about the Zabrak Jedi?

He didn't worry about the Felucians. He was nearing them –one just dropped right in front of him from the towering mushrooms above. Luke ignited his 'sabre and stabbed the blade right through the warrior. Luke couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman or something else. He had no time to stay wondering.

Lightsaber in hand he ran and surged an attack against first Felucians he saw. They offered only a little more challenge than Tusken Raiders did. They looked scary with their unfamiliar faces, glowing painted masks and sticks that resisted even a lightsaber, but they were not trained to fight like this. They only had advantage in numbers. More seemed to appear after each kill Luke managed.

He saw her now. Mara Jade fought against the Zabrak Jedi and her Felucian friends. She had been forced on defence.

Luke pushed aside everyone and everything near him with a powerful Force push, shouting out as he did.

Both Jade and the Jedi turned to look at him surprisedly. Jade's eyes were wide in surprise, but the Jedi narrowed her's in suspicion. Then the Zabrak turned back to Jade, and the Human girl barely had time to block the attack. She shouted in frustration and anger –perhaps fear, too, and lunged at the Jedi with all her strength. It surprised the Zabrak, and she had to back away from her. Her Felucian friends came quickly to her aide. They seemed to be ready to sacrifice themselves for her. The Felucian warriors were relentless, but Jade had enough skills to fight them off. But there were many of them, and they were wearing her off.

Taking his chance, Luke ran at the Zabrak girl, ready to stab her in the back, but she sensed him coming and her green 'sabres parried his attack. She favoured the reverse grip, just like Galen did, but Galen didn't really know Jar'Kai, nor did Luke have much experience fighting an enemy wielding two lightsabers. It was an advantage to the girl.

"Sith," she hissed, baring her teeth angrily. But Luke could feel her fear. She was scared of him. Yet despite her fear, she attacked him, only to back away and throw her 'sabres at him. The Force gave her unnatural speed, and in a blur she moved behind him to catch her 'sabres before they touched the ground. Luke had to turn around quickly on his heels to protect himself from her green blades.

She was dressed for the climate, unlike Luke. She only wore skin-tight trousers and a bare minimum to cover her breasts. Luke's own long sleeved shirt suck onto his skin, wet with sweat. His hair stuck onto his forehead and back of his neck. Pearls of sweat ran down his nose and chin.

"I'm not here for you," Luke snarled at her when their blades locked. They were so close he had an irrational fear that she would cross the space between them to tear off his face with her teeth.

"I know. You came for my Master. I know Vader sent you," she replied. Suddenly she pulled her blades away and jumped away from him –only to vanish right before his eyes. One moment Luke was about to strike her, the next she was gone. He spun around, but she was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Starkiller had walked for good ten minutes undisturbed. The terrain was still bare and grey compared to the lush jungle where he started from, but here and the grew tall fungi. More than once he had passed fences of sharp, bone-like poles. Only now he was starting to think they may not be poles at all. They looked eerily like teeth.

After he had ordered Luke to eliminate Jade and he himself had managed to get rid off his attackers he'd briefly communicated with Juno. She'd told him Luke had dashed off and according to scanners was tracking Jade. She had tried to make sense of the terrain, but her best guess was that the acid could be oozing from the fungi or just be a natural part of equatorial Felucia's soil. Starkiller was beginning to think it had something to do with the rows of teeth.

There were settlements, too, but the people steered away from his path. These people were not warriors, though perhaps they were the spouses, children and the elderly parents of the warriors he'd slain. He scowled at them, showing them the flickering lightnings between his fingers.

"I'm not here for you," he'd said, though it seemed they spoke no Basic. "Stay out of my way, and I won't harm you."

He could feel the Jedi's presence clearly now. She was close.

"Shaak Ti!" he called. "I know you're here. Show yourself!"

He got no reply, so he advanced. It smelled here. Not just acid, not just the fungi. It smelled like rotting meat and bad morning breath. The stink got worse the closer to Ti's presence he got. It was almost overwhelming when he finally found himself on an edge of a sunken clearing. The first thing he noticed were the massive tentacles, slowly moving around, tasting the air. It was a mouth of a gigantic sarlacc. It was similar to Jabba the Hutt's imported pet on Tatooine, only bigger and livelier. The creature thrived here on Felucia. He and Luke had once driven to see the sarlacc on their swoops and thrown rocks into its mouth. The poor thing buried in sand was small and sluggish compared to this monster.

In the midst of teeth peeking through the ground, undisturbed by the creatures ever moving tentacles, sat Shaak Ti. Her front lekku had been tied together with the middle lek by leather bands. Her montrals rose high and heavy above her head like a crown. She did not move or appear to have noticed Starkiller's presence, but he didn't let her passive appearance to fool himself. He had no doubt she was aware of everything around her. He gripped his lightsaber tighter and approached.

"You reek of your cowardly master," she spoke once he was close enough to hear her. Starkiller halted, but she still did not move.

"Lord Vader is not a coward," he replied.

"Yet here you are in his place," Ti stated. She was calm. Her tone carried no emotion.

Starkiller narrowed his eyes. Vader had sent him here to prove himself. Darth Vader had given his apprentice an opportunity to hone his skills. It wasn't cowardly. With one quick movement of his wrist he sent a large piece of shattered bone at her, but it stopped in midair only centimetres from the back of her head. Still unmoving she set the bone down on the ground.

"And you just sat here while I slaughtered your friends. Where's the nobility in that,  _Jedi_?"

That finally seemed to get to her. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. But she was smiling knowingly.

"This is the Ancient Abyss," she said. "Place of sacrifice since time immemorial."

It didn't impress him. So she had willingly sacrificed hundreds of lives –and for what reason? If she so firmly believed in his inferiority, she should have faced him alone. Should she not have protected these people? Instead she'd left them to fend for themselves. Worse, she had had them fight for her. Starkiller would not have killed a single Felucian, had they not attacked him. His mission wasn't about them. It was about her. And that angered him more than anything else about her. She claimed Vader was a coward for sending his apprentice, yet she just meditated here, not giving a shit about the Felucians who were giving their life for her.

He reached out in the Force, feeling the beast's simple mind. The only thing it wanted was to feed. He tried to coax it to attack Ti, but she had a firm hold over it. She smirked amusedly at his attempt.

And then finally she moved. Her hands left her lap, and she stood up gracefully, eyes never leaving him. She wore only tattered leather rags, decorated with beads. Old jewellery decorated the crease where the montrals grew out of her skull and framed the white pigmentations on her face. Her long fingers took the lightsaber hilt from her waist. Starkiller smirked at her. He would soon add that hilt to his Master's collection.

"Are you prepared to meet your fate, assassin?" she asked as she ignited her blue blade. Her carnivorous smile sent chills down his spine, but it was of excitement, not of fear.

More than ever, he thought. He wasn't just an assassin anymore. He was an apprentice, a true apprentice.  _Nothing_ , would stop him from achieving victory this time.

* * *

"What?" Luke yelped. She can't have just vanished!

Then, to his right, the Zabrak girl materialised and surged an attack. Luke nearly failed to defend himself in his surprise. Before he could do anything more, she disappeared again right before his eyes. One moment she was there, the next she was gone.

Her lightsaber brushed at his arm and he hissed in pain.

"I will kill you," he swore, anger flaring within in him, numbing the sting.

"No," she said, appearing from thin air like a ghost.

Jade? Where was Jade in all this madness, he thought as he tried to locate her. The Jedi didn't matter. It was Jade he had to kill or it would all be over.

"My friends won't let you," she finished.

The ground shook. The Zabrak girl smirked and backed away, swirling her lightsabers just to show off.

Luke's eyes widened as he craned his neck to look at the creature that stepped into view to shield her. "Oh no..."

It was a rancor, only it was massive. Luke recognised it for what it was because he had once seen one on Tatooine. It had been Jabba the Hutt's pet, paraded around during a festival. People said Jabba fed his enemies to it. But that rancor hadn't been this large. He'd learnt that rancors were semi-sentient creatures, and thus might become very loyal to their handlers. Their moderate intelligence also made them dangerous compared to regular animals.

Its skin glowed in the shadows. The glowing markings across its body formed patterns, and Luke realised it was some kind of fluorescent paint rather than natural quality of its skin.

Two more rancors followed it. Luke gulped, but pursed his lips in determination. He would not let some barely sentient creatures stop him form fulfilling his mission. Galen must have fought against rancors, too. If Galen could do it, Luke could do it, too.

The electricity prickled his hand and arm as the Sith lightning formed and gathered between his fingers. The first rancor that tried to attack him got it all right in its face. It screeched in pain, clawing at its face as if trying to scratch away the lightning that licked at its flesh. The two other rancors hesitated. Luke could feel their fear and desire to flee, but the Zabrak girl's will kept them still. They were firmly under her control.

Luke attacked while they were still confused. He struck his lightsaber into the rancor's face he'd already assaulted. It howled and tried to claw at Luke, but he dived under its arms and sliced his blade through its leg. The beast fell down, but Luke had no time to rejoice just yet. The two others came at him. He managed to sever the other's fingers and cut the other's face. He couldn't see the Zabrak Jedi or Mara Jade anywhere. Right in the midst of his confusion she appeared again, materialised from thin air like before to strike her 'sabres at him. How was she doing it? Did she have some kind of portable cloaking device that cloaked her from naked eye? She fought him until Luke got the upper hand, and each time that happened she disappeared before his eyes and fled.

"Coward! If you want to fight me, then fight!"

"I am fighting," she replied right next to his ear. Luke spun around, stabbing his 'saber where he thought she must have been. She laughed, materialising just beyond his reach. The largest rancor scooped her up gently and roared at him.

Luke unleashed the deadliest amount of Sith lightning he could at both of them. The rancor screamed and so did she. The rancor stumbled, and the Jedi girl was thrown off. Lucky for her, as it cut her from the electricity Luke was still hurling at the animal. He shouted wordlessly, bringing himself at this very limits, immersing himself deep, deep in the dark side to draw strength to keep going. The rancor twitched and jerked, still upright –but only because of the lightning. It was long dead when Luke let go. It crashed down, dust flying in the air.

Luke fell on his knees, panting. The rancor lay unmoving, smoke rising from its thick skin. The smell was horrendous. He had no time to rest. The rancor he had injured first had fled and he had hoped the remaining one had done the same. As if he'd be so lucky. The now clawless rancor howled and surged at him unafraid. It was furious. The rancor he'd just fried must have been important.

The ground quaked. He could feel the vibrations of its steps through the earth beneath him. He waited to the last possible moment to jump out of the way. He ignited his lightsaber, sprang after it and jumped on its back. He stabbed the blade into its skull, again and again, so deep that his hand clutching the hilt hit the skin. The rancor screeched, but with each blow its movements became more sluggish and less coordinated. It was still alive when it fell. Luke leapt off, landing gracefully on his feet, hand pressed against the ground. He watched the rancor struggle to understand what was happening. It would have been merciful to put it out of its misery.

Luke wasn't feeling merciful.

* * *

Ti leapt through the air at him, but Starkiller was ready to block her blade and move out of the way. She was strong, far stronger than her lean physique led to believe. She was quick from her feet and he soon came both appreciate and hate her skilful steps. It was difficult to get close enough. But where his blade couldn't reach his lightning could. She had little experience in dealing with those, especially of the scale Starkiller's lightnings could reach. More than once she failed to keep all of the electric current at bay. She would parry the attack with her lightsaber and try to control it with the Force, but eventually the charge grew so large her concentration slipped and the sheer raw power of if sent her flying backwards like ragged doll. Each time Starkiller was ready to lunge at her, ready to deliver the killing blow, but each time she managed to get back on her feet just in time to lock their blades.

"You waste your energy too quickly," she scolded, but the strain was audible in her voice. And she was wrong. There was no limit to the dark side. The dark side would fuel him forever if need to be. But she wouldn't last that long.

"Perhaps I did underestimate you," she said. "Your powers are prodigious. I can see why Vader sent you in his stead."

"You wouldn't stand a chance against my Master," Starkiller snarled at her. How dare she suggest Master Vader could not have defeated her!

"Perhaps not," she agreed.

"Many great Masters have fallen to his blade. But you..." she said with a sad smile. "You are wasted on him."

* * *

Luke brushed away the sweaty hair from his face and turned around. He was alone. The Jedi was gone. Jade and the Felucians he hadn't seen in a while. He cursed under his breath and ran. The signs of a battle were easy to follow: lightsaber marks on the mushrooms, dead Felucians lying around. How were there so many of them? He must have killed almost twenty and he counted eight as he followed Jade's trail.

After a while he could hear them. He quickened his steps and pushed through strange tall fungi where the others must have gone through, too, judging by the damage. They were slimy and the smelly goo stuck to his clothes. He found himself from an edge of a clearing. They were all there. Jade fought against the Zabrak again and he counted five Felucians.

"Hey, Jedi!" he shouted to get the Zabrak's attention. She turned to look at him in horror.

Luke smirked at her. "I wasn't finished with you yet."

The Zabrak glanced at Jade, but seemed to come to a conclusion that her friends could keep her engaged. She gripped her lightsabers and came at him in a desperate attempt to overpower him. Luke blocked her easily, feeling more powerful than ever. The fear on her face gave him more satisfaction than anything else. Her blows were more panicked attempts to keep him away than actual attacks. She tried her vanishing act again, but she only managed to disappear for a fraction of a second.

She screamed when Luke's blade went through her left wrist and her 'sabre fell, hand still clutching it. Her pain and confusion was all Luke needed to knock the other hilt from her hand.

The girl clutched the stump of her hand against her chest and backed away. "No, please..!"

Luke halted. The Jedi trembled.

"Please," she repeated. "Let me go, please. I promise you'll never see me again. Please."

Luke stepped closer and she jerked, tripping on her feet. She attempted to get up, but found herself staring right into Luke's lightsaber.

"No," he simply said. The girl watched him, lips parted in disbelief and horror as Luke towered over her. The Felucians had realised she was in mortal danger and abandoned their fight with Jade.

They were too late. Luke struck down the closest Felucian with lightning. With one swift movement his blade cut through the air. The Zabrak's head rolled on the ground, fear forever frozen on her face.

* * *

Starkiller hacked Shaak Ti with furious, angry blows, forcing her to back down. All this time the sarlacc's tentacles tried to reach him under Ti's control. He had to shield himself as much from its attacks as those of Shaak Ti. The stupid creature cared little of the scratches it got from his lightsaber and tried relentlessly to snatch him. Unlike with most living creatures, the lightsaber wounds oozed foul smelling thick blood that made him gag. Ti seemed unaffected. Did the Togruta not have the sense of smell? Starkiller didn't believe he'd get used to the stench even if he were to spend rest of his days here.

Despite the horrendous smell, the rows of teeth peeking through the ground, the pooling acid by the sarlacc's gums and the rotting meat they fought in the midst of it all. Ti coaxed the creature attack him despite its wounds. Whenever he could, Starkiller blasted it with lightning. The electricity seemed to momentarily stun the tentacles and he got more time to concentrate on is actual target. But once the sarlacc recovered, it was angrier than ever –and its anger helped it to ignore Master Ti.

"You are but a slave to Darth Vader," she said when their blades locked and they faced each other. Even now she was calm. She pushed him back and was quickly beyond his reach again. Starkiller grit his teeth.

"And you're just an old relic of the Republic." Starkiller attacked her again with lightning. "Face it. Your kind has no place in the world anymore."

Shaak Ti only smiled at him, revealing her sharp teeth. But Starkiller had known words alone would not shake her. She was an elegant woman and so was her fighting. Blocking the lightning gave him an opportunity to get closer again, but just as he was about to, something in Force shifted. Something on Felucia changed irreversibly.

"Maris!" Shaak Ti gasped in shock. For a moment her defence faltered. "No..."

She was far more affected by the shift in the Force than Starkiller was. It gave him a golden opportunity, but despite the pain on her face, she moved to parry the attack. It wasn't perfect, and she screamed as Starkiller's blade managed to reach her enough to scrape her arm.

"Looks like my brother got to your apprentice," Starkiller smirked. He could feel the echoes of death that had shook Shaak Ti. The Zabrak Luke had described must have been Ti's apprentice.

The Jedi's expression hardened. Starkiller could feel the cold rage within her the knowledge of her apprentice's death had caused, but she steeled her heart and let it go. As if she didn't matter at all. Perhaps she had never been much more than pawn like the Felucians were.

It angered him irrationally. It wasn't like Lord Vader would have wept for his death. If he died, it meant he had not been good enough. There was no need to mourn a failure. So why did it bother him that Ti would so easily ignore the death of her padawan?

"It's a sad thing to see someone as young as you succumb to darkness," Ti spoke. "You and this brother of yours...

Shaak Ti jumped on the passing tentacle and within moments she was high above the ground, far from Starkiller's reach.

"You could be so much more," she called.

"And I  _will_  be," he shouted back at her. He watched the tentacle sway, her balancing on it. There wasn't a moment the tentacle didn't move.

Starkiller concentrated on the hilt in his hand and swung his arm, throwing his lightsaber at her. Ti held out her hand as it swirled across the air, blue blade ready to strike it aside. And she did –exactly as Starkiller had hoped she would. Just as she swung her weapon he released his mental hold of his hilt. The blade deactivated and Shaak Ti's 'sabre passed through thin air, throwing her off balance. She may have been good with her footing, but even she couldn't stay standing on a moving feeding tentacle after that. Her feet slipped and she shrieked as she fell. Her hilt slipped from her finger only moments before Starkiller caught the hold of his own. He ignited the blade and as she crashed, rammed the blade through her side, impaling her to the ground. He reached out to call her hilt into his hand and ignited it to fight off the sarlacc's tentacle that tried to reach him. Deep in the ground the monster bellowed as it was freed from the Jedi's mental hold.

From the corner of his eye he saw the Jedi Master painstakingly getting back on her feet. The tentacles retreated back into the sarlacc's mouth. It kept howling lowly, clearly in pain. Perhaps now that it was free of Shaak Ti's influence it realised it did not want to fight the apprentice anymore.

Starkiller clutched the hilts and stalked towards the Jedi. She was standing now, but she was in no shape to fight. She trembled, and her reddish shade had paled. She backed away closer to the sarlacc's mouth.

"It's over," he growled at her. "Surrender, and your death will be merciful."

* * *

Jade stared at Luke wide-eyed. He had expected for her to flee, but instead she ran to him.

Together they engaged the remaining four Felucians. They even knew telekinesis, but their attempts were rather poorly executed. He sliced off an arm from a warrior that was about to strike Jade from behind and swung his lightsabre right through the warrior's abdomen. Perfectly executed cho sun and sai tok. He had to mentally congratulate himself of how effortlessly he had managed it.

Jade turned around, hair swirling in the air as she did. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Luke replied, crushing the neck of nearest Felucian with the Force. Their eyes locked again, and he could feel the connection form. It was short lived this time as well. They both had to fend themselves from the last two warriors. He wasn't entirely sure of what happened, but they seemed to fall in some kind of natural rhythm. Luke let her do as much as she could, curiously examining her skills. She was...moderately good. She had been able to fight the Zabrak girl, but just barely. She had been trained, but only to make her dangerous to normal people.

Luke waited for her to kill the last Felucian and for a moment they just stood there, hearts racing and sweat dripping down their faces. Up close, Luke could see her better. She was small and her skin was freckled on her cheeks and nose. She had the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen.

"We make a good team, boy," she simpered. She combed the hair away from her face with her free hand.

"Yeah..." Luke agreed breathlessly. His heart skipped a beat. He was reminded of the time when that cute Twi'lek girl from Mos Eisly had flashed a teasing smile at him at Tosche's. He felt his cheeks redden at the thought.

She deactivated her lightsaber, but didn't let go of the hilt. "Who are you? You're not a Jedi."

Luke  _almost_  replied. He shook his head and deactivated his weapon as well. He could feel she was strong in the Force, but she was evidently not trained to fight against someone properly trained in Jedi or Sith arts. She could defend herself, she knew of the Force, but it was as if she had no idea of what she could be capable of. The Zabrak had not even tried to kill her, he realised. She must have just meant to encage Jade until her Master would come back and decide what to do.

I  _must_ kill Mara Jade, he reminded himself, but the conflict grew within him as he watched her. She was suspicious, and rightly so. But he could feel that she was equally intrigued. She, too, had noticed the fragile connection they seemed to have shared from the moment they saw each other.

Luke drew a deep breath through his nose, reaching into the Force for strength. Just moments ago he'd felt invincible, but one look into her eyes seemed to have stripped him bare.

"Are you Mara Jade?" he asked.

Her eyes narrowed and she reignited her 'sabre. "How do you know that name?  _Answer me_."

He gulped. That was as good as a clear "yes". He ignited the blade as well.

"You're one of Vader's spies, aren't you?" she spat. " _Traitor_."

Luke looked at her. It occurred to him that he had never killed a Human. "I'm really sorry."

She brought her blade to a defence position and scowled at him. "For what?"

"For this."

Luke reached out his hand to grip the thin air like he'd seen Galen do hundreds of times. Like he'd heard his father favoured doing.

Her free hand rose on her throat and she made a choking sound in an attempt to breathe, but she knew there was nothing physical strangling her. Her face twisted in anger and she surged at him. Their lightsabre's clashed against each other, but Luke made sure not to let go of his hold on her throat. She attacked him again and again, each time weaker, yet more desperate than the other. He had no heart to attack, only to defend himself and step further away from her at each assault. Luke felt tears burn in his eyes. He should have ended it immediately. He didn't want her to suffer. But the need to block her attacks he couldn't muster enough concentration to snap her neck.

She doubled over, leaning her forearms to her thighs, trying to pull air into her lungs. She grit her teeth, tried desperately to hold on to the lightsabre, but it slipped from her fingers. She turned to look at him absolute hatred written on her face.

Luke stepped to her and kicked away her hilt.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, voice faltering. He let go the choke hold, but before she could act, Luke thrust his blade through her chest and drew it couple of centimetres down towards her stomach as he removed it.

She fell on the ground without a sound.

Luke threw away his hilt and knelt down beside her. She was still alive, but she wouldn't be for long. He took away her blaster from her belt, and discarded that as well. She gasped for air and her green eyes seemed to frantically search for something. Her face was almost white. Luke held her hand and watched as she fought for life, shock taken over her mind and body.

Her final breath was a sharp gasp that seemed like a stab in Luke's lungs. As life slipped from her, sharp, piercing pain spread within in him as if countless of razors were shredding every fibre of his being. He screamed in agony, clutching his head. Through the haze of pain he saw a lifetime pass before his eyes. Memories and stolen moments stung his eyes. A cacophony of voices he couldn't make sense of filled his ears. They were gone as soon as they appeared. Like a dream right beyond his grasp and yet he knew, he  _knew_  it was all that could have been and would now never be. It was his life, all that he could be, all of his future cruelly ripped away from him.

Stinging, burning pain within his chest had him double over and sob. It was over as suddenly as it began, leaving behind a terrible, black void. His face was wet with tears. Never in his life had he felt so wrong, so heartbroken and lost as he did now looking the corpse of a girl he never knew.

Jade's dead eyes stared at the sky. Luke pulled her into his arms and wept.

* * *

Shaak Ti clutched her wound and shook her head slowly. "Poor boy..." she said quietly. Even in her last moments this arrogant Jedi attempted to moralise him. Despite it clearly pained her, she kept taking steps away from him. Perhaps it was just an instinct compelling her to flee. She felt with her hand until she found one of the sarlacc's teeth behind her and leaned against it. Starkiller let her catch her breath, keeping a safe distance between them. She was hardly a threat anymore, but one never knew.

Ti held onto the tooth and lifted her gaze. The pained expression was gone, replace by pity.

"The Sith always betray one another," she said.

She saw him scowl and with her remaining strength she laughed. It was just a choked sound, but it was a laugh. She looked at him with pity and sorrow. He felt like pitying her for pitying him. She was the one dying while he had a grand future ahead of him.

Shaak Ti closed her eyes. "But I'm sure you'll learn that soon enough," she spoke. With that she let go of the tooth and stepped back once more. She staggered. Her knees gave out and she fell right over the edge into the sarlacc's gaping mouth. Starkiller hurried forward, his first instinct telling him to make sure she would not trick him, to make sure she would die. Too late he realised she had already tricked him, but not quite the way he had expected.

Whatever strength she had left was released into the air as she died. The Force, the energy within her exploded violently. The sarlacc screeched, its tentacles moved wildly. Starkiller had no time to react, other than to let go of the lightsabers' ignition buttons when the shockwave already flung him in the air and threw him violently onto the ground. He attempted to land safely, but didn't quite succeed. He groaned in pain as his right ankle buckled under him and he crashed down all the way. The sarlacc kept howling and pounded its tentacles down, shaking the terrain with each strike. Starkiller closed his eyes and concentrated on keeping the tentacles away from himself.

It took a long time for the sarlacc to calm –or perhaps by the time the tentacles retreated it had just managed to exhaust itself with the violent trashing. Starkiller moaned as he dragged himself upright. He used his fingers to comb back his hair from his forehead. The fingers got coated with the sarlacc's sticky blood. He grimaced and tried to wipe it into the tattered sash hanging from his waist. He pulled Ti's lightsaber hilt from the ground with the Force and clipped it to his belt. His own he kept in his cleaner hand. His ankle throbbed with pain and it hurt with each step he took. He limped up the hill and towards the village slowly.

The villagers gathered to watch him. Starkiller scowled at them and ignited his lightsaber to let them know that even wounded he was still dangerous. Some tried to speak to him, but he couldn't understand their language. The Jedi's death had affected them, but whether they were happy or not for Shaak Ti's death, he could not tell. At least none seemed vengeful.

They came close, but the crowd always parted before him. They let him walk and none followed once he'd passed the final fences of the settlement. After that he didn't see a single Felucian as he made his way back to the  _Rogue Shadow_.

It was dark by the time he arrived. The jungle gleamed in the night, lighting his path. The  _Rogue Shadow_  waited exactly where Juno had parked it. He keyed the access code to lower the ramp and limped inside. He was tired, but he felt victorious. Shaak Ti was dead. Master would now have to acknowledge that he was ready.

Juno and PROXY came to greet him from the cockpit.

"We're done here," he told the Captain bluntly, hand against the wall for support. "PROXY, get the medpac ready."

"Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly, although she must have seen he clearly was. She stepped closer, but stopped suddenly. Her face twisted with disgust at the smell. "Oh stars, you stink."

"Yes, thank you. I hadn't noticed," he muttered. "I'm fine. Nothing that'd leave lasting damage. Where's Skywalker?"

"He's not back yet," she told, covering the lower half of her face with her hand. "Scanners indicate he's heading back, though. Go take a sonic before that smell sticks to the ship."

He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He felt himself blushing.

"Right..." he gulped, turning around hastily to hide his embarrassment. He escaped into the small 'fresher, stripped out of his dirty clothes and showered, only to realise he now had nothing to dress into. He stared into the mirror, biting his lower lip. The sweaty, bloody combat wear didn't appeal to him at all. Would the sonic shower work for clothes? The actual washing machine was in the equipment storage by the galley.

He looked at all the equipment on he'd removed and placed on a little shelve. Among the lightsaber hilts was his comm and the earpiece he'd worn.

Galen took the comm and connected to the bridge. "Err, Captain?"

"Yes?" Juno sounded startled.

"Is PROXY there?" he asked.

"No, I thought he's with you."

Of course. He'd sent PROXY get the medpac, so now the droid was probably waiting for him at the medical table they had in the room largely occupied by Juno now. He sighed and swallowed his pride. "I left my robe in the cockpit, didn't I? Can you bring it over?"

"Alright," she said. She sounded both amused and confused. Soon he heard a knock.

"I've got my back to the door, you can open it," her muffled voice came through the door. She was true to her word. She stood back against him, arm behind her back offering the robe. Galen snatched it quickly and hastily pulled it on.

"Thanks..."

"No problem." Her tone was neutral, but Galen could feel her amusement underneath.

He hugged the thick fabric against himself. Turning around without another word he limped barefoot into the training room and through it to his chamber. He fell on the bed on his stomach, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly tired. He lay there unmoving for many minutes until realisation had him startle. He'd left everything, even his lightsaber, behind.


	6. VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been way too long. I'm sorry. But I would never abandon this fic. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Cursing himself Starkiller quickly dressed into his more comfortable training gear and hurried back. Juno was nowhere to be seen when he sneaked into the refresher and snatched his belongings. PROXY was in the common lounge, eager to tend to his wounds, but Starkiller ordered the droid to wait as he threw his tattered clothes into the washing machine.

Luke wasn't back yet. He wasn't worried, but he could feel...darkness. Like heavy clouds hanging in the sky just before the rain hammered down.

Felucia was strong in the Force and horribly unbalanced. The darkness here was pure, it refused to be diluted by the light. Even so there was something off about it, and Starkiller was glad he would soon leave it. He did not want to be exposed to this planet longer than needed. Perhaps staying in this place, in that abyss of sacrifice, for so long had been the reason for Ti's ruthlessness and her calculating willingness to sacrifice so many lives despite her devotion to the Jedi ways.

Whatever the reason, Ti was now dead. One of the last of her kind and her death had been by his hand. There was no way his master would now refuse him his destiny –he was ready to face Darth Sidious.

Though perhaps not right at this second, he admitted to himself as pain shot up his leg with each step too careless. He wrapped a cooling compress PROXY offered around it. The compress would release medicines and pain killers to be absorbed through the skin to ease the pain and swelling. They had come in hand countless of times throughout his life. There had been a time Vader had supplied him with them albeit without the pain relievers. It had been...bizarre to be introduced to it by Aunt Beru. You could have an injury, but no pain? Crazy!

PROXY would have wanted to go through his injuries more thoroughly, but Starkiller refused for now. He wanted to speak with Juno before Luke was back.

The Captain sat at her seat in the cockpit, running system checks. She turned quickly to look at him over her shoulder.

"We need to talk," he announced before she could say anything. He didn't want to hear any remarks.

"Alright," she said carefully and turned her seat around to face him. "About?"

"About Skywalker."

"I know I–" she began uneasily, but Starkiller cut her off: "We'll have to find him a way to go back to Tatooine. I can't take him to Scarl again."

"Oh. Yes. Yes, of course." Juno combed an errant lock behind her ear and nodded. "I've been thinking about it, actually. We could take him to Kway Teow," she told. "It's the capital of Felucia. He could buy himself a ride home there."

Starkiller considered it. He had enough credits for Luke to do that, and while he did fear for the boy's safety, he knew Luke could easily defend himself against the common people.

He was about to ask what she knew of Kway Teow if not for the Force alerting him. He had already turned around to look through the door as the landing ramp began opening. Luke walked in with a solemn expression. The boy noticed them watching through the open doorway He turned away quickly and stalked towards the training room.

"That's probably our best option," Starkiller admitted, eyes still at the landing ramp. Something was off about Luke and he wanted to know what it was. Were they in trouble? Had Jade escaped?

"Take us to Kway Teow then. I'll give you further instructions later," he said, watching the landing ramp close. He heard Juno agree, but his mind was already fully focused on Luke.

Luke sat on the floor, next to the wall in complete darkness, head buried to his knees. As the door closed behind Starkiller, the apprentice flicked his fingers to turn on the lights. The boy did not stir.

"Luke?" he asked tentatively. "What's wrong?"

Luke shiged shakily and and his head seemed to slump even further down. The dull pain in his ankle was forgotten instantly and he hurried to Luke, kneeling down to his level. "Are you alright?"

Luke shook his head, but didn't say a thing or lift his head. Behind them the door opened once again. Starkiller glanced over his shoulder and saw PROXY. The droid walked to their side, carrying the medpac.

"Luke," he tried again. Luke didn't seem to be injured, but Galen had never seen his brother like this. He looked up helplessly at PROXY to seek for advice. None came.

"Hey..." Galen called gently, running his fingers through the blond hair. "Look at me. Tell me what's wrong."

"Go away!" Luke barked, shoving at him violently. His voice broke. The Force push toppled Starkiller on the floor. He gasped and startled when Luke turned to look at him with angered, pained expression. His eyes were gleaming yellow, reddened and wet with tears. He had often seen Luke with the Sith eyes, but only while fighting. They never persisted long, and never appeared unless Luke was actively connecting himself to the dark side.

"No, I won't," he said adamantly. This time it was his turn to figure out what ate his brother. "What happened? Where is Mara Jade?"

"Nothing happened," Luke breathed and his head slumped to his knees again. "I– I caught up with her and I killed her. The Jedi, too. Mara Jade is dead. We should be safe."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Starkiller accused. " _What happened?_ "

The ships engines came to life and they could feel _Rogue Shadow_ take off. Luke lifted his head and let out another heavy, shaky sigh. "A vision, I guess."

Starkiller frowned. Luke had been crying long before this moment. The skin around his eyes was red and puffy. "When? What kind of a vision?"

He was immediately reminded of Kota. _Vader won't always be your master_ , the Jedi's voice whispered in his head.

"I think I saw my future," Luke began. "But I destroyed it. It was all taken from me. And it's my fault."

He swallowed. "Completely wiped out. I know I saw it, I saw all of my future, but– I can't remember any of it. It's like...when you've had a dream, and you wake up and try to remember it, but you can't," he explained with a wavering voice.

Starkiller nodded. He glanced at PROXY, but the droid only shrugged and offered him the medpac. Starkiller took it.

"I wasn't supposed to kill her, I just _know_ it," Luke continued. "We were meant to meet again. We– I don't know how to explain it, but there was a– a connection. I think she was supposed to be part of my future. Mara Jade wasn't supposed to die like this, but I killed her anyway."

Starkiller thought of Kota. The Jedi seemed to have been sure their futures would entwine. And maybe they would. When the time came, he would make sure to finish off Kota for good. He thought of Vader and of his words.

"My Master recently told me that the future is in constant motion," he said. "Visions of it are just one version. The Force is our servant, not the other way around. Our actions determine our future."

"Well, all I know is that it felt horrible," Luke argued bitterly. "Like a part of me had been ripped off."

"I'm sorry," Starkiller offered for the lack of anything better to say.

"It's not your fault," Luke muttered. He reached to his belt and pulled an unfamiliar lightsaber hilt.

"Here," he said, handing it to Starkiller. "I took her lightsaber. You take it. I can't take credit since no one's supposed to know I'm here."

Starkiller took it and turned it in his hands as Luke pulled out two more sabres. "The Zabrak Jedi had these."

He accepted the strange hilts, weighed them in his hands and examined them.

"Congrats. Your first real kill," he said with a small grin in an attempt to cheer the boy up. "Wish I'd been there to see it."

Luke huffed, but smiled a little. "How did you do, then?"

"Shaak Ti is no more," he smirked with a hint of pride.

"You've got a cut on your face."

"Yeah, I probably twisted my ankle, too. Bad landing. She sort of...exploded."

Luke chuckled. "You're kidding me."

"No, I swear by Lord Vader it happened," he vowed good-naturedly. "She fell into a sarlacc pit and there was a massive Force explosion."

"My mental image was a bit more gory when you said that," Luke laughed. "Do you need help?" he asked, nodding at the medpac.

"I think PROXY can handle me, can't you PROXY?"

The droid tilted his head. "Actually, according to my calculations, now is an opportune moment to kill you," he said.

"PROXY, no," Luke cried, but the hologram was already taking shape around him.

"Move," Starkiller ordered immediately, shoving his brother aside as he stood up to face whatever PROXY had in store for him, lightsaber ready and ignited in his hand. This was between the two of them. He had no idea how PROXY's programming would deal with Luke, should the boy intervene. The droid would probably not intentionally kill or harm Luke, but accidents happened.

"PROXY, you can't! He's hurt!"

"Do you think a real enemy would care, either?" Starkiller snarled at his brother.

The Jedi whose shape PROXY took was familiar to both of them. They had both fought and defeated the image of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi long ago.

The hologram smirked and assumed Soresu opening stance, lightsaber held high and pointed forward.

"Kenobi?" Starkiller scoffed, lowering his blade. Luke was just as surprised. Kenobi was an old module. An easy module. "Are you malfunctioning?"

PROXY's Kenobi did not reply. Luke watched Galen parry the attack easily. His brother had PROXY on defence immediately. Galen drove the droid on the other side of the training room and stabbed him against the reinforced wall. The hologram failed and PROXY sagged to the floor.

Galen deactivated his sabre and knelt down to his friend.

"What was that supposed to be?" Galen complained annoyedly. "That training program's years old. I thought you'd erased it by now."

"I don't erase my modules," PROXY said as he stood to his full hight. He reached to retrieve another lightsaber behind the panels covering his chest. "Let's try another one of your old enemies."

"PROXY, no! What are you doing?" Luke exclaimed, finally scrambling up from the floor. Twice in a row wasn't fair play. And Galen was injured!

"Stay out of this, Luke," Galen warned him sternly. "He's being serious."

PROXY shrunk as the hologram took form. Orange skin with white marking's on her face replaced the metal. Short lekku and low montrals marked the young age of this particular Togruta. She held one full length lightsaber in her right hand and a short bladed shoto in her left with the same Shien reverse grip Galen favoured. Without a word she assumed her attack position with a self-confident smile.

"Come at me, big boy," she said, flexing her fingers as an invitation. Then she gripped the hilt properly and lunged at Galen.

Luke had seen Galen fight this module before –Ahsoka Tano was a familiar foe to them both. It had taken Luke four times to defeat her. She was fierce, but Galen had beaten her before. Galen had never lost against PROXY. Even with that knowledge it was frightening to watch Galen fight for his life. The knowledge that PROXY, the very same droid that had trained him, had beaten Luke many times in a duel, would jump at any opportunity to kill Galen if he slipped even once turned Luke's stomach. Fear gripped his heart, but he knew he could not intervene.

As he watched, holding his breath, he realised that instead of helping he might end up hindering Galen if he ignited his 'sabre and attacked PROXY. Following Galen in secret had been incredibly selfish of him. Had he insisted on following his brother to the battlefield, he could have got them both killed. Galen was right. He was not ready.

He drew a sharp, frightened breath through his nose when Galen was forced to take nearly all his weight on his bad ankle as he backed away. He heard Galen cry out in pain and his knee buckled under him. He fell, but it was a controlled fall and he rolled safely out of the attack's way. Tano's lightsabers scorched the floor.

Galen was back up on his feet and landed a heavy kick on Tano's side before she had regained her balance from missing her mark. She fell hard with a metallic sound and PROXY's hologram failed for quarter of a second. The shoto blade deflected Galen's attack, and her full length 'sabre made sure they had no time to lock blades. She got up and they danced across the floor, lightsabers clashing against each other.

There would have been a chance for Galen to slice off her arm, but he didn't take it. He didn't want to damage PROXY. Instead he went for a far riskier move and grabbed her arm, wrenching her violently against himself. Tano attempted to kick him off and reach him with her shoto blade, but before she could, Galen threw her on the floor.

His red blade stabbed through PROXY's chest panel once more. Galen fell on his knees by PROXY's side. He breathed heavily, exhaustion and pain evident on his face.

"Just shut down, PROXY!" Galen shouted at him exhaustedly, clutching his still ignited lightsaber. "There's _no one_ inside you I haven't defeated!"

"PROXY, stop this!" Luke echoed, finally daring to approach them. PROXY's lights flickered and the droid stood back up. Galen deactivated his sabre, sighing heavily. Through the Force Luke could feel his exhaustion like a heavy blanket draped around his shoulders, pulling him down. Through their bond he could feel echoes of throbbing pain.

"Face it. You can't beat him," Luke told the droid boldly. PROXY had tried and failed since the moment he'd been built. Him and Father would have to accept that Galen was ready. Luke couldn't boast of having met many masters of the Force, but he was confident Galen was amongst the best of them.

PROXY tilted his head and looked at Luke. "Give me some credit, master," he said, then turned to face Galen once more. "I have one module left that neither of you has ever seen. I have stored this enemy for years."

PROXY's voice was positively _gleeful_.

"Get back!" Galen barked an order immediately as the hologram began to form. Luke gasped at the sight of the tattooed Zabrak warrior that stood in PROXY's place. The young man seemed nothing like the Zabrak he had beheaded just hours ago. The warrior snarled at them between his teeth. This was no Jedi, Luke realised. It was a Sith. No Jedi would have red-and-black tattoos of the ancient Sith warriors on their face.

The tattooed Sith sniggered at Galen, who scrambled up and backed away, reaching for his hilt and gathering lightning in his hand. The Sith appeared to reach inside his own ribcage as PROXY took hold of a sabre he rarely used. Luke gulped and backed away as the Sith ignited both ends of his long, double bladed lightsaber.

It wasn't unheard of for PROXY to use it. There had been a Jedi woman with a double blade 'sabre they both had fought. Galen had won of course. Luke did, too, eventually. It was a difficult weapon to both fight against and use. He tried to mimic its usage with a gaffi stick of a dead Tusken raider, but had it been a real lightsabre, he would have cut off his own foot.

The Zabrak spun the lightsaber show-offishly before surging an attack. The blue Force lighting hit the blade and was deflected uncontrollably all across the room. Luke yelped and jumped out of its way. Then PROXY's and Galen's lightsabers clashed against each other.

Luke watched in horror struck awe them move across the room.

"You're weak," snarled the Zabrak Sith with PROXY's voice as he kicked Galen heavily on the chest. He didn't seem to have a voice profile for this module."You were weak when your master found you and you are still weak."

The statement sparked cold fury and stinging ache in Luke. Galen was anything but weak, even though the kick had sent him stumbling away from the droid. Galen was the strongest person he knew, be it Force or endurance or anything at all. PROXY had no right to say that. He wanted to shout at the droid to shut up, be he held his tongue.

"You are afraid. You _reek_ of fear," the Zabrak taunted. Luke was glad that Galen didn't dignify it with a response other than an attack.

"Fear should be your ally, not your enemy."

"Stop, PROXY..." Luke whimpered under his breath as he watched the droid's blade scrape his brother's arm. Galen suck in a breath and didn't cease his attack –but PROXY was quick and dodged its master's savage blows with incredible accuracy. Luke had never seen PROXY move this quickly before. It was terrifying.

"You will never be strong enough to fulfil your destiny."

He wanted to beg for PROXY to stop. He knew it wasn't truly PROXY taunting Galen, but hearing the words spoken with his voice... Perhaps it was the exact purpose of this all. It was cruel.

Lightning illuminated the room –and then a loud bang rang in Luke's ears as the lights went out, sparks scattering around for a mere moment from a single light on the wall that was hit.

In the darkness Luke could only see the lightsabers moving and clashing against each other. Red emergency lights flicked on, casting eerie, sinister glow against the duelling pair. Shadows danced across the floor as Galen lunged at the Zabrak, forcing one end of the sabre down. Luke gasped when Galen's hilt suddenly clattered on floor. PROXY's stance faltered momentarily and the blade came dangerously close to Galen's shin, but his brother held onto to the Sith's hilt with both hands. The hologram snarled –then thrust his head right against Galen's forehead.

It seemed to daze him for half a second, but Galen didn't let go of the lightsaber they now fought over to control. He kicked at the droid with his good leg, foot piercing the hologram, and twisted the lightsaber out of PROXY's hands. He flung the hilt across the room with an angry growl and attacked the Zabrak barehanded. Luke winced, thinking of how much it must have hurt to land a blow against PROXY's metal frame. Galen's sabre flew back into his hand. Taking advantage of his split attention the Sith warrior knocked him off his feet with a swift kick aimed at his bad leg. Galen crashed down with a howl of agony.

Luke wanted to leap to his brother's aid, but his feet felt like they were bolted to the floor. His brother rolled out of the next blow's way. He managed to get on his feet and grab the Zabrak's arm, hurling the droid to the floor. Before PROXY could react Galen had impaled the droid, blade stabbing through his back. The hologram failed instantly and PROXY's system went offline. Galen let go and his trusty companion began rebooting itself.

"Just give up, PROXY... You're–," Galen panted furiously, "you're _nothing_ compared to the real thing!"

The droid pushed himself up, seemingly unharmed from the duel. Galen still clutched his hilt, trembling ever so slightly with sheer effort to keep his stance.

"I'm sorry, master," the droid responded forlornly. "It seems I have failed again. It was my best program."

Galen faltered with relief . He let the blade deactivate and stumbled. Luke rushed to his side. Galen seemed ready to faint from exhaustion. Vader's apprentice leant heavily against his brother for support.

"I couldn't kill you this time, either," PROXY said mournfully. "It might be I will never be able to fulfil my primary programming. I'm sorry, master. I fear Lord Vader will be disappointed with my report once again."

"Enough, PROXY, he defeated you!" Luke barked at the droid as Galen sagged against him.

"It's alright, PROXY," Starkiller reassure the droid. He allowed his legs to give in and with Luke's support fell on his knees. A tired smile passed his lips. If Master Vader were disappointed in PROXY's report, it meant overall he'd performed acceptably. "You did really well this time."

"It was an excellent duel, master!" PROXY agreed happily.

"Will you just help him?" Luke cried.

"I will do my best, master," the droid promised, acknowledging Luke's presence for the first time since transforming into the Zabrak warrior.

Starkiller wasn't sure how much time passed, but he realised Luke was still right next to him, beckoning him to stand up. Without even noticing he'd rested his forehead against his palms, elbows propped against his knees. He ached. Thoroughly and all over. His ankle throbbed and his head hammered with dull ache.

"Come, master, we must tend your wounds," PROXY coaxed.

With some effort Starkiller forced himself back on his feet. Luke was back at his side instantly, but he waved his brother off. He must not show weakness. Not more than he already had. As soon as he sat on his bed he removed his boots and undid the compress around his bad ankle, wincing in pain. Luke stayed, silently witnessing PROXY taking care of his injuries. Bacta to cuts and burns, a new cold compress around the ankle after a scan. Injection to fight off any inflammation and prevent swelling. According to the scan it wasn't serious. Painful now and maybe for a few more days, but with treatment and proper care it would heal quickly.

"What was that combat thing just now?" Starkiller wanted to know as his droid moved to pack away the medical supplies. "I want to learn those kicks and jumps."

"It's a Bunduki unarmed combat discipline called Teräs Käsi," PROXY explained. "It was created especially to fight the Jedi by non-Force-sensitives."

"Do you have it all stored in you?"

"Of course. I know thousands of combat forms."

"You've got to teach us that one when we're back home." Starkiller turned his ankle experimentally. It still ached, but was already feeling much better.

"PROXY..." Luke suddenly spoke. "Do you know if it's possible to...turn invisible? With the Force."

"Invisible?"

"There is a Force technique referred as Force cloak," PROXY replied. "I am not familiar of how it works for organic beings. Even if I did, I would not have means to simulate it."

"But it's possible?"

"Theoretically, yes. But there are no complete records for this technique. I only know it has been referred to, so some knowledge must have existed. Perhaps it was lost with the Jedi."

"It is possible," Luke said with absolute certainty. "I saw it. It must have been that."

"Invisible?" Starkiller repeated.

"That Zabrak Jedi I killed. She vanished right in front of me. First I thought she must have had some kind of a cloaking device, but... It was the Force."

"How could the Force turn you invisible?"

"I don't know. But I want to find out."

"If you do, let me know." Frankly it sounded silly. The Force wasn't magic. It was possible to fool non-Force sensitives and Force sensitives into not noticing you, but that didn't mean you became invisible. But if Luke had fallen for a simple trick like that it further proved that his brother wasn't ready to face their true enemies.

"So...what now?" Luke wanted to know after a moment of comfortable silence. They could still hear the soft hum of _Rogue Shadow_ 's atmospheric engines. They still hadn't left Felucia. "Where are we going?"

"Felucia's capital. I forgot the name already..."

"What do we do there? Are you contacting Father?"

Starkiller looked at the eager expression on his brother's face. He hated to disappoint him.

"I'm going to drop you off, Luke. You're going home."

Luke's face fell. "No..! No, please, can't I stay?"

"No. I need to report back to your father–"

"I'll hide. He doesn't have to know."

"He'll want me back on Scarl. I can't take you back there, Luke, it's too dangerous. Your father would kill me if he knew."

Luke wanted to argue, but kept his tongue . There was no point arguing about their father with Galen.

"Ok," he agreed silently.

He knew Father was not known for patience or tolerance, but surely he would not kill Galen. Luke didn't think he would. Nevertheless, he understood the trouble his brother would be in should their father know Luke had been with him all this time. He didn't regret sneaking onboard, but he didn't want to cause trouble his brother, either.

Yet he already had.

It hadn't gone exactly as he had planned or thought. He had wanted to see Galen in action –and he had. But for the first time he had truly understood the weight of it. He'd known Galen would kill and would be shot at, but it was different to hear the muffled screams and blaster fire through the comm.

He had daydreamed of being able to take part in the action himself, but now that he had, he wished he hadn't. Killing wasn't new to him. He had killed people before, but Mara Jade was the first member of same species he had killed. He wasn't sure if it mattered. It shouldn't have mattered, nor the fact that she must have been about the same age with him. Yet it did.

It was the vision fault. It was the worst of it. It turned his stomach to think of it.

He wished...he wished it would not have come to that. He wished he hadn't taken her life. It hadn't been right. He could still feel the Force calling out to him, begging him not to alter the path he was to take.

It was no use to dwell on it. It was done and couldn't be undone. There had been no other choice –not if he wanted to keep his family safe.

And now he would have to do the same and go home.

Kway Teow distantly reminded him of Bestine. Or maybe space ports just were the same no matter where in the Galaxy you were. It wasn't as hot as the equatorial section they'd been to, but very exotic to Luke nevertheless. There weren't many Humans and plenty of species he had never seen before.

"Public transport only," Galen reminded him of what must have ben at least the fifth time. "Remember, you're not sightseeing, you're not making friends. You're–"

"Going home the straightest way with at least three changes. No booking trips in advance. Use fake name. _Yes_ , I've got it," Luke sighed. Galen worried too much. He knew to keep low profile. Galen even told him not to get robbed after giving him credits from his personal expenses account.

Luke rolled his eyes at the idea. He was a Sith. The being who dared to try to mug him would be a dead being very soon.

They bid their goodbyes quickly. Perhaps when Galen got home, the Emperor would be dead and Luke wouldn't have to hide anymore. Perhaps then Father would finally talk to him. Luke swung his backpack over his shoulder and walked down the ramp to the humid early evening air. The _Rogue Shadow_ lifted off and Luke was on his own for the first time in his life. It was time to go home.

* * *

"Where to?" Juno asked. The _Rogue Shadow_ circled low above the vast, dense forests of fungi that coated the planet. She wondered absently whether they were all connected. Perhaps the entire forest was just a few giant networks of mushrooms from pole to pole.

Vader's agent collapsed on the jump seat. "I don't know."

Juno frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Vader hasn't made contact yet... He should have done it by now. I signalled him the mission is over."

"Maybe he's busy."

Starkiller hummed thoughtfully.

"We could go back to Kway Teow," she suggested. "Eat well, have some rest. By stars, you look like you need some."

"I'd really fancy a proper dinner at a cantina," she tried when the assassin still said the nothing.

"Do as you wish, Captain," he huffed. The young man stood up to leave.

"Fine. In that case I'm flying us back," she decided. Let the Jedi killer sulk. She at least wanted her dinner, now that there was a chance for it.

"Let's go. I'm hungry," she announced once _Rogue Shadow_ was securely parked with an overnight charge. She was back wearing her civilian clothes, hair undone.

The assassin was in the middle of the training room, going through carefully measured series of steps, kicks and jumps.

"I can't. Lord Vader could contact me any moment."

"Clearly he's busy," she asserted. "Come on, live a little. The universe won't cease to exist even if you aren't here to answer the comm."

Starkiller gave him an amused look. "This is Lord Vader we're speaking of."

"Surely even he sleeps sometimes," Juno reasoned. "Doesn't he..?"

"I'm not sure," Starkiller admitted with almost a smile.

"PROXY can man the comm. It's just a dinner."

"PROXY _is_ the comm."

"All the better. It'll be fine."

Even with all the persuasion Juno hadn't truly expected for Starkiller to join her. But he did. He followed silently as she navigated the streets busy with people enjoying the warm evening. Humans were scarce, and it earned them a few curious looks.

Starkiller wore his dark robe, heavy hood shrouding him in its shadow. Captain Eclipse led them to a decent cantina with tables set around a dance floor. A live band played slow, unfamiliar music and couples swayed with the rhythm as they were seated.

Starkiller glanced at the menu they were given. It was written in common Aurebesh, but the language made no sense to him. The pictures were mostly unhelpful.

"Uh, do you speak Basic?" he tried asking a passing waiter. He couldn't have told it from the waiter's face, but he felt the Felucian's confusion.

"No. Apologise. Speak no Basic," the waiter stammered.

"Does anyone?" he asked, but the waiter just repeated "speak no Basic".

"What about Huttese?" he asked, switching to the language.

"Huttese!" the waiter echoed happily with an unfamiliar accent. "Yes, yes, I speak Huttese."

They had a lengthy conversation about the menu –occasionally interrupted by him turning to translate to Juno. The waiter warned them off of several mushroom dishes that were generally lethal to most mammal species.

"Any drinks?"

"I'll have a cocktail," Juno suddenly said in accented Huttese. She pointed a picture on the menu. "This one. One for him, too"

"No, I–"

"One for him," she repeated stubbornly and the waiter hurried away before Starkiller could argue further.

"Why didn't you say you speak Huttese," he asked in Basic.

"Not very well, but enough to get by," Juno replied, still in Huttese. Her accent was typical to a native Basic speaker from the Core worlds. While Galen had lived years on Tatooine, he still occasionally slipped with his accent, though his was modelled by what was considered standard Huttese. Luke's was pure Tatooinean Huttese –as was his father's. It was a tiny bit amusing, truth to be told.

"And there was a lot of vocab I didn't understand," Juno continued in Basic. "It's all on my file, isn't it?"

"Probably. I didn't read it," Galen admitted.

"But...I thought you had access to–"

"PROXY has. I don't. And I don't care. So long as you can fly my ship."

"Right..."

Juno bit her lip and turned to look at the dance floor. Starkiller berated himself for killing the conversation that had barely even started.

"So how's...how's life?" he began awkwardly. Juno turned back in surprise.

"Sorry?"

"Your life. When you're not flying stealth ships on secret mission, I mean." He cleared his throat and attempted to look relaxed.

"It's alright. I go where the military goes."

"Right... Of course."

An amused smile passed Juno's lips. "Are you trying to have a conversation with me?"

"It's what you're supposed to do while having dinner, isn't it? I'm trying to be polite."

Aunt Beru always emphasised good table manners –and Juno was definitely smiling now. It lit up her face and wrinkled the corners of her eyes. She looked a much younger and friendlier with her long blond hair framing her face freely. It was like letting her hair down had pulled down the layers of professional facade she had built around herself to succeed in what was very much a man's world. It was a shame, he thought. Such a competent and brilliant person shouldn't be forced to change herself to fit in and match some silly expectations of what a woman in the army was supposed to be like.

"I suppose it is," she agreed. "And I appreciate the effort. It's...very sweet of you."

"I'm not trying to be sweet."

Juno suppressed an amused smile. It was funny to see the fearsome assassin out of his comfort zone. "I joined the Academy on Corulag as soon as I could. I worked hard to get where I am, I had to. I graduated with top marks and joined the Navy. Then Lord Vader picked me to fly in one of his squadrons –it was the proudest moment of my life."

The waiter returned with their drinks.

"I didn't realise I had such a decorated Captain flying my ship," Starkiller commented, accepting the bright orange drink topped with a layer of green. It looked positively toxic, but the little glittering streamers attached to the straw ruined the image.

"It's an honour."

"It's not, really," Starkiller replied to her surprise. "It's dangerous and secretive. No one will ever know of your accomplishments and no one will thank you."

"Flying is always dangerous," Juno said defensively. "And as for accomplishments... You'll know. Lord Vader will know, I hope."

The assassin's expression grew serious once again and the line between his brows deepened. "He will. Trust me, I will give you the highest possible recommendation."

"You will?" She hadn't expected that. "We'll still fly together for a long time, won't we?"

"I wouldn't count on that."

The statement took her by surprise. Lord Vader had seemed to imply that this could be a long term position.

"Is it because Shaak Ti is dead? She was one of a kind, wasn't she? So it's back to routine now, whatever it is that routine is to you."

Was she to return to her routines as well? It hadn't been a long time and she may have managed to stick her nose into something far more dangerous than she could handle, but that was exactly why she needed to stay. If there was a conspiracy against the Emperor... She had to find proof. She had to let Lord Vader know.

Starkiller sipped the drink and made a face. "Killing Jedi is never routine. But if all goes well...then this was our last mission together."

"Will Skywalker take over, then?" Juno asked.

"You shouldn't say out loud that name," Starkiller snapped a warning immediately.

"Sorry," she apologised, taking a quick look at their surroundings. The music was still playing, people were still dancing and no one seemed to be paying any attention to them.

"But will he?" she pressed. She wouldn't mind flying Skywalker from one end of the Galaxy to the other, but Starkiller shook his head.

"I don't think it was ever meant for him to do this kind of thing. His position is...unique."

"Why?"

"It's none of your business."

"All right. Sorry I asked..."

Juno knew she sounded offended. She shouldn't have been, but she was. She was part of the crew, yet there were so many secrets kept form her. She already knew more than she was supposed to and she couldn't help her curiosity. If Starkiller and Skywalker were brothers, how come the other's position was so different from the other? Was it simply about which of them was Vader's favourite?

"Juno it's... I'm not saying that because—

"I know," she cut him off. "It's classified. I'm not even supposed to know he exists. I get it. I don't know what's so special about him and it's probably for the best I never find out. So it's fine. Let's talk about something else, shall we?"

Starkiller just kept looking at her as if trying to read her. She had an eerie feeling he really was. Then the assassin broke his silent stare.

"Tell me about Corulag," he requested. "I've never been there."

So Juno did. She told about the capital with its skyscrapers and busy streets, she spoke of her school and the Corulag Academy. Their meals were brought to them and she kept telling him of the white mountains in the south and of the village she grew up in until her mother died. She spoke of the snowy meadows sparkling in sunlight as if someone had scattered diamond dust on the ground, of the blue sea of flowers in the summer and of the auroras that lit the sky on cold winter nights.

"It sounds beautiful," Starkiller admitted.

Juno smiled fondly at the memories. Starkiller watched the corners of her eyes wrinkle ever so slightly. In that moment she looked so content, so perfectly happy that it ached him. It must have been wonderful to feel such belonging and connection to a place. Tatooine was his home, but he knew he didn't quite belong. Not in his own mind. If anything, he was like the skeletal hull of _The Executor_ –unfinished, existing alone in the void and waiting for his completion, waiting for being _finished_. Like his true purpose and place were somewhere ahead, but always beyond his reach and like everything up until that was temporary.

He feared it was all temporary, yet he longed for the day it would all come to an end, the day he would reach his primary programming. Did PROXY ever feel what he felt, he wondered? Were droids capable of understanding what it felt like to be _so close_ to your goal, yet not quite being there yet, not quite believing you'd ever be there. If they did, then PROXY must have known exceptionally well what it was like. If it were so, he pitied PROXY.

"It is. You should visit," Juno sighed. She felt a pang of homesickness tug at her chest. It didn't happen often, but the nostalgia was suddenly almost overwhelming.

"I don't have time for sightseeing."

"What do you do during your annual leave then?"

"I don't have one," the assassin replied bluntly, pushing away his empty plate.

"Never?" Surely that was illegal.

"Never," Starkiller confirmed. "Don't bother yourself with that, though."

Juno supposed it a warning not to pursue the subject and frowned at her moody companion. During their meal she must have revealed so much of herself, yet the man before had revealed nothing. It wasn't fair, a childish part of her insisted. She wanted to unravel the mystery before her despite the gnawing fear for her life –but she had never let that hold her down. She would get to the bottom of this. She would expose whatever conspiracy lay behind the closed doors of _Rogue Shadow_. She would find out who the man before her was.

She watched Starkiller stir the remainders of his drink and down the mix in one go. She had already finished hers. The orange layer had been sickeningly sweet, but the fresh, almost sour green layer had balanced the taste nicely –and it was definitely getting into her head.

"What is this?" Starkiller voiced the question Juno had been thinking of while having hers.

"No idea. It's nice, though," she said, glancing at her empty glass. "Shall we get a new round?"

"One's enough," the young man said with a grimace. "It's definitely doing its job."

Juno simpered with a sudden idea.

"Come on. Let's go to the dance floor," she coaxed.

Starkiller looked at the hand tugging at his arm. "I don't dance."

"Don't be shy. Anyone can dance."

"No really, I don't—" he tried despite letting the Captain pull him towards the dance floor. The volume boomed as they left the dining area.

"It's fine," Juno called over the music. "Just follow my lead."

She led the young man to the floor holding onto his hands and letting herself get caught up in the music. It had been forever since she'd last went clubbing. Did Imperial assassins ever do that, she wondered. She grinned at the bewildered look Starkiller was giving her. There was a first time for everything, and she didn't particularly care. She felt light and happy and freer than she had in months, and for once she could just forget everything, just be Juno Eclipse. Her father was a face forgotten, Callos but a bad dream, and the Empire and her life in the army somewhere so far away her thoughts couldn't reach them. Just Juno...and so she danced.

The music changed from joyous to slow and sweet. Couples around them pulled closer and began swaying with the rhythm.

"May I?" Starkiller asked, holding his hand out for her. In the dim light he was a mere shadow and she couldn't see his face properly. But for a moment...she'd thought he'd looked so young. She smiled and took the invitation for a dance.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to dance," she said quietly. Her voice came out tender and far more breathless than she had intended.

"I said I don't dance."

"Yet here you are," she said, pulling a little bit closer. In response Starkiller's hand against her back held her closer still. He was firm and warm against her. She supposed being held so close by him could have felt incredibly safe if she weren't reminded of the fact that he was a killer conspiring against the Empire. The thought sent shivers down her spine, but whether it was fear or something else she didn't quite know or care to know herself anymore.

Starkiller hummed in agreement to her words. Her hair brushed against his hand resting against her back. She felt small and fragile, though he knew she was anything but. The silence stretched between them, but it was comfortable and oddly reassuring.

It was a very long song, or at least that's the way it felt. He wouldn't have minded if it had lasted longer. They looked into each others eyes in silence until the music came to an end and the next song blended in. Neither let go. They looked into each other's eyes, and he felt breathless and weak under her gaze.

He felt Juno's hand brush against his cheek (when did she move?) and the her lips pressed against his, making him even weaker. He didn't notice when he had closed his eyes or when he forgot how to breath –only that both had happened when Juno pulled away hastily.

"Oh stars..." she gasped. "That-that wasn't very professional, was it?"

Starkiller blinked at her. She looked like she regretted her action.

"No, no it wasn't," he agreed under his breath. Despite his words he found himself leaning closer. Juno's lips parted and her wide eyes looked into his with an alarmed expression. Then she blinked and the look was replaced by determination. Her hands held his face between them and she pressed her lips against his again. For a moment Starkiller froze. Juno's lips slid against his mouth, her scent filled his nostrils. Then he buried his fingers in her hair, his eyes fluttered closed as he melted into her kiss. Carefully, almost frightened, he responded. Her nose bumped against his, but their lips didn't part.

When she pulled away he looked at her in boyish wonder. No one had ever kissed him like that –no. _No one_ had ever kissed him at all. Camie had once pressed a wet kiss on his mouth when they were still kids. Fixer would probably attempt to kill him if he knew. But that hardly compared.

He licked his lips nervously and opened his mouth to say something, but words failed him.

"Maybe...maybe we should go back," Juno said breathlessly with edge of _something_ in her voice. Hope?

Galen swallowed. The lump seemed to settle at the pit of his stomach. "Yeah. Yeah we probably should."

He turned abruptly away from her, suddenly just feeling an overwhelming need to escape her presence. He dodged the people, quickly walking out of the cantina. If Juno followed, he didn't notice. PROXY greeted him at _Rogue Shadow_ , but he pushed past the droid into the training room and across to his chamber. There, and only there, in the privacy of his dark chamber did he allow himself to come apart and think of sweet what ifs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and thank you so much for everyone who keeps sticking to this story. It means so much to me. Please let me know how you feel about this chapter if you have a moment.
> 
> Incidentally, as a native Finnish speaker, my eyes and ears bleed when I read teräs käsi. It might not seem like a big deal to you English speakers out there, but it should be teräskäsi to be grammatically correct.


	7. VII

"Starkiller," Juno began carefully. It took all her willpower to remain composed. Initially she had felt confused, angry and insulted. It wasn't every day she was abandoned on the dance floor and left to pay the bill alone. After sleeping it over she felt ashamed and stupid. She had to speak with Starkiller now. She didn't want to spend rest of their time in awkward avoidance. "Can we talk?"

The young man tensed barely noticeably and didn't turn to look at her. "Sure."

The lack of any hostility encouraged her to walk into the common lounge, past the assassin where he was seated at the table, enjoying his breakfast.

"I wanted to apologise," she said and took a seat opposite to him.

Starkiller's brows furrowed, probably in an attempt to look confused, but it only managed to make him look angry. "Why? There's nothing–"

"There is," she interrupted. "I shouldn't have forced myself on you like that. I can see you're uncomfortable. It wasn't professional, it wasn't right. I got carried away and I'm sorry. I don't even know you. For all I know you have someone waiting for you. You might not even like me or–or women in general..." she finished awkwardly.

"Juno," Starkiller began. "Don't. It's...fine. It was fine. We're fine."

A flicker of hope sparked in Juno's heart and she smiled shyly. "I'm glad."

"Good. Don't let it bother you. Nothing has changed."

Hasn't it? Juno dug her nails against her palm. She would have preferred something had changed. It definitely had for her.

"Good," she agreed, but her heart wasn't in it. At least it was done. She had apologised, her apology had been accepted and they could go on as they had so far. She stood back up and headed for the little wall-integrated kitchenette.

"Do you know where we're heading next?" she asked after making herself a cup of caf and something small to eat in silence.

"Lord Vader hasn't been in contact yet."

Juno accepted the words with a nod and sat back opposite to him.

"It's odd," the assassin suddenly announced. "He's never taken so long to contact me."

"Maybe he's just giving you some room to finish the task," she suggested.

"Impossible. I told you, I've informed him that I'm finished."

"He's a busy man," Juno pointed out. "He could be fighting somewhere at front lines right now."

"You might be right," he admitted with discontent. While they didn't talk, the young assassins remained with her in the lounge as she ate until the door opened and PROXY walked in.

"Master–"

"Is it him?" Starkiller looked like he was ready to leap from his seat.

"Yes. Lord Vader wishes to speak with you."

"Finally..!"

Starkiller was up and leading the droid out of the room in an instant.

"Juno, get us ready for take off. We'll leave immediately after I know our next destination."

"Roger that."

She hurried after him and took a turn to the cockpit. This was it, she thought. This was her chance to learn more about her mysterious companion. Closing the door behind her she sat at her seat and started computers from their standby mode. Juno counted silently to thirty before pulling out her datapad from the seat's pocket. Her heart pounded nervously as she connected to _Rogue Shadow_ 's security system and brought up the camera feeds. She chose the live feed from Starkiller's large training room and pressed record.

She saw PROXY standing at a lit circle in the otherwise darkened room. Starkiller had knelt down on one knee and kept his head bowed down. Juno reached for the headset and and pulled it over her head while never letting her eyes leave the assassin. For next minute or so nothing happened. Starkiller just waited kneeling on the floor with hands on his knee in silence with PROXY standing in front of him. The young man's companion stood equally unmoving and silent until it suddenly seemed to straighten up.

"He's here," Juno heard the droid announce as a hologram began forming around it, making him grow taller and bulkier. She turned up the volume as the image of Lord Darth Vader seemingly solidified and Starkiller bowed down his head further.

"Is it done?" the dark lord's voice boomed in her ears. Knowing that Darth Vader was actually star systems away did nothing to ease her nervousness. She could feel the hairs stand up on her arms.

"Yes, my Master," Starkiller replied. "My mission is complete."

"Are you certain?"

Juno could have sworn she saw Starkiller flinch and then tense even further. "I am certain. Shaak Ti is dead, my Master."

"If that is so then I am certainly surprised to see you alive."

"She was the hardest target I have faced, I admit, my Master, but she is _dead_ ," Starkiller assured Darth Vader with barely disguised anger. His manner of addressing Lord Vader was polite, but Juno would never have dared to use that tone on Vader.

"Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

"Master Ti had an apprentice," Starkiller told. "She is dead now, too."

"Good."

"And we –I ran into... Ti's apprentice had engaged one of the Emperor's Hands."

Juno's ears perked up at the title. She had never heard it before yesterday, but it sounded like someone directly under the Emperor's command. She had not been brave enough to research it or the name Starkiller had given his brother: Mara Jade.

"The Hand has been dealt with," Vader's agent finished to her surprise. She would have expected Starkiller to blame her death on the Jedi. Surely they were supposedly on the same side? It worried her, had kept her awake at night almost as much as the kiss had kept her restless. Why was it so important for Jade to die to ensure her silence? Just because she saw Skywalker? Who was that boy?

"We will discuss that later," Lord Vader said. "Return to Scarl at once."

"Yes, my Master," Starkiller replied again, but PROXY'S projection was already disappearing. The droid faltered –an error in its system no doubt, but his owner was quickly back on his feet to support him.

"It seems like Lord Vader already has a new mission for you," the droid simpered.

"I hope it's not another test," Starkiller grunted. "It's time. I'm ready to face the Emperor. He _must_ see it. Our time to strike is now."

Juno couldn't stop herself from gasping. _No..._ No, this couldn't be happening!

"Perhaps this will be it," the droid suggested. "It does seem like you are closing your primary programming!"

Juno felt faint and her face had gone deathly pale. Pure, absolute terror gripped her heart and she didn't know if she knew how to breathe anymore.

"Yes. Finally..." the assassin said softly in her ears.

 _I can't panic now_ , she told herself. If she did, she would surely die. But if even Lord Vader himself was in on the conspiracy to assassinate the ruler of the free galaxy...was there anything at all she could do without signing her own death sentence on the side? A heavy, cold lump twisted in her stomach. She was going to be sick. There was no way for her to contact anyone without Darth Vader finding out. He had explicitly told her he would know if she did break that rule. Even if she managed to warn someone, Vader would have his agent kill her instantly. Despite the kiss shared by them, she had no doubt Starkiller could carry out such order.

Juno had nothing to bargain for her life. Nothing at all.

But if she didn't alert anyone... She could always claim she knew nothing. She wasn't supposed to know any of this.

Would anyone believe her? What if Starkiller truly would succeed? Then she had nothing to worry about –no! Starkiller succeeding wasn't an option! It was her _duty_ as an Imperial citizen to report this. Emperor Palpatine's life was in danger! Even more so if even Lord Darth Vader was scheming against him.

But if Starkiller didn't succeed...she would be arrested for sure. She would be treated as an accomplish. She would face execution for treason. They would _never_ believe she wasn't involved –or if they would she would still be executed for treason for not passing on the information she had.

She felt like crying at the hopelessness of the situation. No matter what she did, she would likely end up dead.

On the screen she saw Starkiller make a move towards the door. "Come on, PROXY. The sooner we leave the better."

Starkiller would be in the cockpit in less than a minute to tell her they would return to Scarl. Juno pulled away the headset hastily, trembling fingers quickly cutting the live feed. She looked at the recorded file and deleted it hurriedly. She would pretend she knew nothing. She was not ready to die. Any other option would guarantee her death. This was her best option, it had to be.

She only had seconds to open something else on her datapad and collect herself before she heard the door open. Despite expecting it, she found herself jumping.

"Captain, complete the take-off preparations. We are–" The young man cut himself off. Juno could feel his eyes on her.

"What's wrong? You're upset."

"I... Nothing," Juno stammered. Starkiller could see right through her, couldn't he? She would be dead within seconds.

"Just... The season finale of Seven Level Heaven," she finished faintly, turning around to show him the datapad where the final minutes of the holodrama's episode were playing. She had watched the drama while waiting at Scarl.

"You watch that?" Starkiller asked with genuine confusion. He glanced at the screen and then, throwing Juno completely off balance, smiled. "Wait until you see the Empire Day special."

"W-what?"

"If you think the season finale is upsetting, you'll be dazed for a week after the special," he said smugly. He threw himself on the jump seat and adapted a more serious look. "No, seriously. I need season four _now_."

Juno could only stare. "S-sorry? You watch Seven Level Heaven?"

This time Starkiller looked actually a little uncomfortable. "Yes..? I guess you could say I'm addicted," the fearsome secret agent and assassin admitted sheepishly as Juno continued to stare at him in utter shock.

"It's a good drama," he said prickly.

" _You_ watch Seven Level Heaven?" Juno repeated –and burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. The growing embarrassed annoyance on Starkiller's face only made it worse. Stars! She thought she would die and now, and now..! An actual assassin, _an actual secret agent_ watched the same drama she did and it had just saved her life.

"I'm– I'm sorry, sorry!" she managed between her laughter. "I didn't expect that."

"What's so funny about that?" he asked comically grumpy.

"Nothing. Everything," she replied unhelpfully. "I mean...you're one of Vader's agents! And _you_ watch Seven Level Heaven!"

"That's not funny."

"It is a bit."

Starkiller scowled at her as he waited for her to collect herself. "Are you done?"

"I think so."

"Good."

"Good."

"So..." Starkiller started with what was clearly an attempt to not sound too enthusiastic, "who do you think killed Meler?"

"You mean it's still not revealed in the special?"

"No, it just complicates things."

Juno frowned. "But there are three seasons. I've only seen two. And you still don't know who killed him?"

Starkiller shook his head.

Juno slumped against the seat. "Oh stars, I _need to_ see it."

"Yes, you do."

Juno looked at the datapad she still clutched in her hands. "I still can't believe you watch it."

"I have outside interests as well," the young man said defensively. "You do things other than fly ships, too."

"Unbelievable," she said, shaking her head a little in bewilderment.

"Forget I ever mentioned it," Starkiller grumbled.

"No, no. Stars, I'm sorry!" It was still hard for her to hide her amusement. "Seriously, I think it's great. Just a bit...unexpected."

Starkiller huffed in a mockery of offence. "I came to tell you we're going back to Scarl."

The words sobered Juno instantly. She turned quickly back to _Rogue Shadow_ 's console. "Roger, I'll get us in the air immediately."

"To answer your question," she began once the sublight engines hummed to life, "my money's on Xaria Mark."

Starkiller, who had moved to the co-pilot's seat turned to her with an unreadable expression. For a moment Juno held her breath, thinking perhaps he had realised...

"Xaria's definitely the most obvious candidate after Ilial," he said. "But if you think about it, Hally and even Robbie, that guy from the shop, both had a reason to want him dead. Did you hear the theory about Robbie?"

"No, I'm actually really new to this drama," she admitted as she piloted the _Rogue Shadow_ to the skies of Kway Teow. By the time they were in space and the computer was calculating the jump he was only beginning with the complex, but entirely sensible and a little mind-blowing theory.

* * *

 The moment _Rogue Shadow_ pulled out of hyperspace an alarm rang to indicate a ship or ships within scanning range. They were still too far away from the massive star destroyer they had visited earlier for them to see it with a naked eye, but _Rogue Shadow_ 's scanners were first rate –as were its cloaking capabilities. Juno knew for certain that no ship would be able to see them with scanners. She reached to silence the small noise that wanted to let her know of the presence of the building site.

"Here we are again," she said just for the sake of saying something. Starkiller had left the cockpit earlier, but had returned like summoned when she began to get ready for taking over piloting the ship again.

"Yes," he agreed, standing cross-armed between her and the co-pilot's seat which PROXY had now occupied. She wondered if he was nervous at all, based on what she had heard. She certainly was, but she tried to keep the fear at bay. It had helped to chat so long with him about something so absurdly normal as a hit holodrama. But as they now approached the shipyard, she felt her anxiety build up. They were now close enough to see it hang against the space, blending in with faraway stars.

"Captain," PROXY spoke. "The scanner indicates eight Imperial-class Star Destroyers within 50 000 kilometre range."

"What?"

Juno's hands flew to the screens. Even Starkiller leant closer to see the constantly updating 2D map of the area and as she scrolled through the scanner readings.

"This can't be," she gasped. "The Empreor's fleet... It's the Emperor himself."

" _Of course_ ," Starkiller breathed in. He straightened his back and stared longingly out of the viewport.

"Should we leave?" she asked, hoping he would say yes. "There's no way we've been spotted yet."

Starkiller shook his head. "No. Continue as planned."

"Alright."

She accelerated and kept closing in on their destination. It grew larger and larger until there was nothing else for them to see from the viewport, and the closer they got the worse the fear gripped her throat. What should she do? Should she try to take an advantage of the situation and contact the Emperor as soon as the assassin left to meet Lord Vader? Should she just keep quiet and hope for the best? It took all her will power not to think, but the questions remained at the back of her mind. She counted her blessings for Starkiller being so preoccupied with whatever it was he knew of the situation.

She still didn't know when _Rogue Shadow_ touched down to the hangar floor and Starkiller took his leave with his droid.

"Be ready to leave immediately," he said. He paused at the door. "Lock the ramp. I'll be back."

Juno nodded despite he wouldn't see it and bid her goodbyes quietly: "I'll see you later then."

She watched him walk away through the open door. When the ramp closed she crouch down and buried her face into her hands.

_Shame you're going to assassinate the Emperor. I think you might succeed. I hope you– no, I should hope you fail. Shame you make me doubt where my loyalties lie. Shame your actions will get me killed._

_...what a shame I hope you don't die._

* * *

 It wasn't as easy as she had thought, certainly not with her heart pounding and blood rushing in her ears, a voice at the back of her mind urging _don't do this_ , but after some trial and error and some searching the security feed was on her screen. She saw Darth Vader standing in front of a massive wall length viewport as Starkiller entered the room and walked straight towards him. The feed had no sound, but she assumed they were talking as the young man assumed his place next to the man he had called master. It was difficult to say without finding a way to zoom in closer. She watched in silence until they both suddenly turned –and then things went horribly, horribly wrong.

She smothered a scream into her palm, unable to tear her wide eyes away from what she was seeing. Minutes passed in horrible silence that only her terrified, choked cries disturbed –and then there was a knock on the door. Her heart jumped to her throat, but she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

With a deep breath Juno reached for the blaster and braced herself.

* * *

Starkiller took a moment to stand up straighter and gather all the self-discipline he had. This was it, hopefully. Today they would kill the Emperor, him and his Master together. Today would be the day they began their journey to bring true order and justice to the galaxy.

Imagining himself standing next to his Master, finally equal, made him feel giddy, but he pushed away the feeling. He had to be in control of himself. After this was done, he might not be an assassin anymore. He imagined himself dressed regally like he'd seen people in the Imperial Court do. Oh, Luke would laugh at his mental image! But Luke would be a prince himself. He smiled at the idea. They would go to Coruscant and there would be no need to hide who they were anymore. Perhaps Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen would come with them. Once Lord Vader ruled the galaxy with Starkiller at his side, they wouldn't need to scrape and pinch on the Great Chott Salt Flat anymore. Lekauf could finally return to his family.

"Is anything the matter, master?" PROXY asked. As always, the droid was right behind him, loyally following him.

"Nothing at all," he replied, letting the smile wither away. _Cool and composed_ , he thought to himself.

He waved his hand to open the doors and marched forward, leaving PROXY behind. His master stood in his familiar spot by the viewport. This time the ship was positioned so that the nearby sun could be seen in the distance, but the transparisteel protected their eyes from its true brightness.

Normally he would've knelt down to wait for Master to acknowledge his presence, but this time he walked forward with confidence. He'd been knighted, he wasn't a mere servant anymore. He had defeated Shaak Ti. He was ready to fulfil his destiny.

His steps echoed in the chamber, breaking the near silence only his master's regular breathing disturbed. It was a sound so familiar to him he hardly even registered it anyway.

"My Master, " he began. "Shaak Ti is dead as promised. As is her apprentice. I've brought you their lightsabers."

"And the Hand?" Darth Vader asked as he accepted the three hilts Starkiller offered.

"She's dead, too." Starkiller unclipped her hilt and offered it to his Master. Vader levitated all four weapons in front of his mask before quickly casting them aside. The hilts clattered on the floor somewhere at the side of the room.

"Mara Jade," Vader pronounced, having barely even glanced at the weapons.

"Yes," he confirmed, in awe that his Master had recognised her from the hilt alone.

"I never much liked her," the Sith Lord said almost amusedly. "However..."

Starkiller spun around as he heard the doors open. His eyes widened as he saw PROXY walk towards them, wearing a hologram of the Emperor himself. He knew instantly it was just that –a hologram. He felt his master's arm around him and before he even registered it, a burning pain pierced through him. For some reason, he saw Felucia.

" _Poor boy…"_ Shaak Ti's words rang in his ears. " _The Sith always betray one another."_

The genuine sadness and pity of her tone had set his blood boiling. What did she know of him or his Master?!

" _But you will learn soon enough."_

He hadn't believed it, had never quite imagined it like this. There were no words for the sickening feeling that was his Master's lightsabre sticking out of his stomach. He thought he would have screamed, but all that came from his lips was a shocked gasp of disbelief and pain.

"Jade led him to us," his Master snarled into his ear. The lightsabre hissed as it was deactivated and Vader let go. For whatever odd reason, he thought it must have been the first time his master ever held him. His legs gave in and he collapsed on the cold durasteel floor, still in denial of what was happening. It _had to be_ a mistake. Jade was dead. Luke said she was dead!

The Emperor's image walked to them. While the ancient looking man wasn't truly physically there, Starkiller imagined he could still feel the pure darkness and evil lurk beneath his robes. He didn't look like an emperor at all. He was an old man, hunched and crippled.

" _Vader's assassin_ she said," the Emperor spoke as he looked upon him. "I've known for years he was working behind my back and _I allowed it_. I allowed him to keep you and train you."

"No," he managed to gasp as if just denying what was happening could change it.

"I congratulate you, Lord Vader, for your attempt to betray me, but this ends here. You have forgotten your place." The Emperor's raspy voice was sinister and angered, but controlled as he spoke to his apprentice.

 _My master betrayed me._ The thought hurt almost worse than the searing hole in his body did.

 _No! The Emperor did something!_ a desperate part of him insisted. His master would never betray him, not now, not after twenty years. He had been nothing but loyal to Vader. There was no reason for Vader to have done this.

"You had your little project, your _insignificant_ pet, run around my galaxy without supervision. Now he has killed my favourite toy. The best Hand I had," Darth Sidious scorned. "Or perhaps you ordered it, Lord Vader? You never did like my dear Mara Jade."

"He acted alone," Vader said, speaking for the first time since embracing his apprentice for the first time in his life and then stabbing him in the back.

"Master, please," Starkiller pleaded. "We can defeat him together."

"You will do no such thing, _boy_ ," Emperor Palpatine spat out as if the word itself were filthy. "Lord Vader."

"Yes, my Master?" Darth Vader asked.

The Sith Master's wrinkled hand balled into a fist. "Kill the boy."

If possible, Starkiller paled even further. "Master, no..!"

"Dispose of your _apprentice_ at once or I will kill you both," Sidious threatened, bony hand pointing at the transparisteel. A star destroyer had moved closer to be seen in front of the sun. One word, and the fleet would fire, destroy the shipyard with the three lives onboard. Whatever would happen to Juno now, Starkiller wondered suddenly with a pang of guilt. As always, he had led his pilot to death.

 _No..._ No this couldn't be happening! Was there nothing he could do to stop this? With all the strength he had left, he stood up to face his master.

 _Please..._ The words didn't leave his lips. Attacking Vader didn't even cross his mind. It was deeply rooted in his spine. It was, like PROXY would say, part of his programming. He would never raise his hand against his Master. And should Darth Vader deem him a failure beyond salvage, he had the right to kill him. But this...this wasn't right! This wasn't supposed to happen!

He looked into his Master's mask, suddenly certain this had happened before. He felt small and vulnerable and scared and utterly, utterly helpless at the feet of this man. Gone was the fierce Sith apprentice and powerful assassin. In this moment he was just Galen Lars –or was it Galen Marek? —a frightened, defenceless child facing a monster and the monster looked back.

Assessing. Calculating.

"Please..." he managed, but his voice was weak. He knew it was hopeless. He couldn't take down anyone with his wound. He couldn't help his Master take down Darth Sidious. Neither of them could escape if Vader defied Sidious. He watched his master turn to look at the Emperor, as if waiting for his orders.

 _He doesn't want to do it_ , Galen thought for a fleeting second. _Please no, not like this._

"Do it."

"Don't!" he screamed pathetically as Vader's arm moved, sweeping him up in the air and against a group of piping at the far end of the room. He'd been thrown around and against things throughout his life, but never like this. He couldn't have broken free from Vader's hold even if he'd had the strength to try. He couldn't even scream when the hit dislocated his arm. Shock had overcome him. His entire life crumbled around him. The grand destiny he'd fought for all his life shattered to pieces.

His master had betrayed him. He was about to die.

He could hear bones breaking, knowing they were his own, but it was all distant and far away. The only pain he felt was the anguish of betrayal.

"Yes, good." The Emperor's creaky, sickeningly delighted laugh echoed in the chamber. He was liked a child kicking down a sandcastle and stomping on it, ecstatic at the face of destruction. "Kill him, kill him!"

What would happen to Luke now? Who would train him? Who would protect him?

The thought of the boy stung his eyes. The boy he'd once so resented and who'd be come so important to him. He would never see Luke again. Vader had not only taken him his life with his treachery, he thought hazily. He'd taken him his family, too.

No, Starkiller realised with sudden clarity as he slammed against hard durasteel, whatever little air escaping his lungs. Vader was not the traitor. _He_ was the traitor. _He_ and his actions alone had led Sidious here. Cold terror crept up his spine as he realised he could have led him to Luke.

With realisation came acceptance. He felt no pain as serene calm filled him and only sadness remained. He looked into Vader's mask once more, no longer hearing the Emperor's laughter or his words. His world had become silent.

 _I'm sorry,_ he wanted to say. _I understand now. I failed you, my Master._

The transparisteel shattered at impact and the vacuum of space sucked him out. The last thing he saw were _the Executor_ 's emergency shutters closing, leaving him to die alone.

* * *

The dull hum of the hyperdrive enveloped the cabin, drowning all other noises into distant voices. Luke sat in his seat with his dark robe pulled tightly around him, head bent awkwardly in his attempt to sleep in the artificial night of the spaceship. The lights had been dimmed, yet through his half sleep, half meditative state he could make the faint sounds of a group of children still running around despite all passengers were instructed to remain at their seats. It wasn't exactly cramped –there was a small shop with scattered seating around at the back and enough space to walk around.

Rest didn't come easy to Luke. Jade's death still haunted him. It hurt and confused him that it did. He couldn't remember a single detail of the vision her death had brought forth, yet it would not leave him. It probably never would. Every time he closed his eyes he could almost see, almost hear, almost feel. It was all there, just lightly beyond his reach. Sometimes it felt like he could almost grasp a piece of it, just a tiny bit, but the harder he tried to chase the fleeting images the further into the fog of his mind they dispersed.

It did nothing to ease the ache at his heart. The vision had been of his future, Luke was sure of it –and he had destroyed it with his own hands as he murdered Mara Jade. In that moment, with that one action, the entire universe had shifted and cried out in horror at the wrongness of it.

Luke had wept and held her limp body in his arms, begging for forgiveness. Her's. The universe's. The Force's. He'd begged for life to return to her, but there was no bringing back the dead and no reversing the time. In that moment Luke would have given his life in exchange for her's —a girl who was a complete stranger. An enemy. And so, so important for the Force and for his future. He would have given anything to ease the agony that pierced him with each heartbeat and with each breath he took without her. She had not been meant to die this way.

As the night began slowly creeping to the jungle her body grew cold in his arms, his eyes ran out of tears and the pain gradually dulled, leaving him with a void of nothingness in place of something he had never even known had been there. Luke lay her down on the ground, combing her hair with his fingers until it framed her like a blazing halo. Her eyes were open, but there was no life behind her empty gaze.

Numbly he began looking for the discarded weapons. While Mara's death had deeply unsettled him, he felt nothing looking at the headless corpse of the Jedi girl or her decapitated head. She hadn't deserved to die either, Luke thought distantly as he picked up her hilts. She had deserved her faith even less than Jade had, yet he couldn't bring himself to care for her. She was a Jedi. She had attacked him first. She would have killed him if he hadn't killed her.

He returned to Jade, placing her blaster at her side. "I'm so sorry", he whispered one more time, fingers brushing against her pale cheek. For a long silent moment he remained knelt by her side, just watching her and wishing for some sign of conclusion. When none came he stood up silently and walked away without looking back.

And still he ached, even with so many star systems between them. He wondered if he would for the rest of his life. Half asleep, wrapped in his robe, listening to the endless hum of the hyperdrive he half dreamt, half remembered Mara Jade and the vision and all that was taken from him. The Force was like a warm, comforting blanket around his mind, dulling the pain as he reached for it for peace and strength.

He dreamt of Galen, marching down to Father somewhere far away. Proud and confident. Happy and hopeful and–

Luke's eyes flashed open and he gasped, sharp pain piercing his abdomen. Eyes wide in horror he looked down, expecting to see blood, but saw nothing. His hands trembled violently as he pried open the robe still expecting to see red stain his clothes. Someone next to him spoke, Luke realised distantly. His wide eyes met the woman's sitting next to him –he didn't even know which part of the galaxy she was from. The woman's hand hovered between them. Luke felt like throwing up from the utter horror he suddenly felt.

"Galen," he blurted out. It was Galen's pain he felt. His fear and his confusion.

The woman's hand reached for his shoulder with concern. The lightsaber was in Luke's hand instantly and she screamed. Why was she screaming?

Luke wasn't sure when he stood up, but he lurched forward, clutching his sabre so tightly his knuckles paled. Galen needed him. He had to help him, he had to–

"No... No, no..."

The pain in his abdomen spread, his mind was wrapped up in searing white agony and it took all his strength not to fall on his knees and clutch his head, for surely nothing in the galaxy could hurt more than he was already hurting.

He was wrong. His brother's pain and the mental anguish it gave him were torturous, yet the moment it stopped he would have given anything to have it back. As sudden as the pain had appeared as sudden it disappeared. Gone like a flame blown out, flickering and then vanishing.

Luke reached out to the Force in breathless panic, grasping onto the threads that were the deep bond he shared with his brother and that would always connect them no matter how many lightyears apart they were. But the more desperately he tried to chase it the quicker it escaped. Like a dream it unravelled in his head until it wasn't there anymore. There was nothing for him to hold onto.

Galen wasn't there.

"No..."

The Force around him was thick and cold, it chilled him to his very soul. He trembled, still desperately trying to find some sign that what he was feeling, what he was not feeling, was wrong. Everything around him seemed suddenly far too clear and far too bright. He could feel each being on this wretched ship, he could hear each terrified voice, feel each of their hearts beating in cruel mockery. He couldn't stand it. He wouldn't stand it. He had never been so enraged, so full of hatred towards another living being in his life.

There was panic around him, yet he now moved oddly calm without a proper understanding of what he was doing or what was happening. Only that the overwhelming amount of living Force around him suffocated him –it _offended_ him. What right had all this life to surround him when the life of his brother had dimmed and disappeared like it had never existed at all?

Luke couldn't hear the screams of terror and pleas of mercy around him. He didn't see the slaughter that was his own doing.

Somewhere far and distant a familiar voice called his name. Pleaded. _Luke! Stop, Luke! No!_

"Leave me _alone_!"

_No! Luke!_

The grief that gripped his heart and twisted his mind was too overwhelming for him to care. Somewhere at the back of his mind he knew he should listen, but the darkness that had become him just wanted for all the voices around him to be silenced forever. If they would not, then he would surely have to claw at his ears until his nails scraped the skull so that voices could not get in. He could not rest until they were gone.

Luke stood dazed, ignited blade clutched in his hand. He blinked, for the first time truly seeing what was around him. It was eerily silent. There were scorch marks on the walls. Blasterfire, he thought distantly. Had there been a shooting? There were bodies everywhere. He couldn't feel any living Force around him. He was the only one alive onboard.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight, but it wasn't the carnage that brought the bile in his mouth. It was the horror at the realisation that nothing had changed. He still could not feel Galen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks for reading. I hope you liked the chapter. Please take a moment to leave a few a words below. That would be much appreciated. ♥


	8. VIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Life Day, lovelies. ♥

The Force was in turmoil. The darkness around him was cold and crisp, its tendrils around him stained everything like ink in water – tranquil and beautiful. It wrapped around him like a comforting hug, whispering poison in his ears.

Luke stood still. Dazed, angered and scared. Time passed slowly and the more it passed the less certain he felt of anything around him. There was so much death surrounding him it was difficult to feel anything else. And beyond that...everything was as it should. The universe did not care of Galen's death. The Force didn't care. How could it? It was just a force of nature.

And yet the death around him had shook it.

He looked at the bodies around him with glazed eyes, attempting to understand what had happened.

_Did I..?_

He remembered the children playing at the back. He didn't remember killing them, but the bodies were there all the same. He felt sick.

"What have I done..?"

His voice, barely more than a whispered, went unheard. The Force had no answers for him, either.

Luke ran a hand through his hair, heart pounding in his chest. Would he ever stop trembling?

He'd killed them all. And for what? Their deaths had not brought Galen back. Their deaths had not eased the pain he felt. They had nothing to do with it. He'd killed them for no reason at all.

The Force felt warped and wrong. The dark side was cold and terrifying, yet Luke reached out to it and welcomed it with open arms to dull the remorse, the despair and the anguish. He couldn't tell if anything around him was real or not. He felt as if in a dream.

Only when he felt the nudge of the ship dropping out of hyperspace and heard the hum of the hyperdrive disappear did it occur to him to worry what would happen to the ship with no one piloting it. He walked up to the little bridge to find the door forced off of its frames and the crew dead. He hadn't really expected it to be otherwise, but his memory of ever coming here before was hazy. He didn't want to remember and shuddered at the deja vu the place gave him.

"Please don't damage me!"

Luke spun around, lightsaber back in his hand. A droid stood half hidden behind a console. He relaxed his pose a little, but didn't let go of his weapon. The droid would see him as an enemy.

"Why should I spare you?" he asked, hoping he sounded more intimidating than he felt.

The droid considered his words, its head tilting in mimicked confusion. "I don't know," it admitted. "You're a Jedi terrorist. I assume you want something."

"I'm not a Jedi nor a terrorist."

"Then why did you kill my crew and passengers? And why do you have a lightsaber?"

Luke regarded the droid. It didn't look armed and was likely only an assistant to the crew. He let go of the ignition button. "I don't know. I didn't mean to."

The droid stepped forward. "Are you malfunctioning?" it inquired.

Luke smiled at it humourlessly. "I might be."

He turned to the viewport. There was a planet in the distance. "That's Formos?"

"Correct," the droid confirmed. "The auto-pilot has brought us this far, but thanks to you I must land this ship alone."

Luke licked his lips nervously. He really, really had messed up. "Can you do that?"

"Technically, yes. It is not a ship meant to be piloted by one."

"Tell me what to do, and I'll help you."

"No. It's better I connect to the navigation system and take care of all the navigational roles."

He nodded. "All right. Do that then."

"I will," the droid said, but as soon as it did, its photoreceptors shot at the console behind Luke. Something at the console had began beeping demandingly.

Luke was instantly suspicious. "What's that?"

"Nothing," the droid said. "I'm sure it's nothing. Just a warning that we are closing the planet."

Luke wasn't convinced so easily. He walked closer. "This is the communications console."

"No," the droid denied. "That's– that's navigation."

"We're being hailed."

Luke inspected the console until he figured out how to get the sound from the deceased officer's headset to the speakers and opened the channel.

"Freighter Ebullient, this is Formos Imperial Space Control. We have received your distress signal. Colonel Quirt has deployed a squad for your assistance. What is your situation?"

Luke's eyes shot at the droid. "You alerted them..!"

"Of course I did," the droid stated. "My crew and passengers were killed by a Jedi terrorist.

"I'm  _not_  a Jedi terrorist!"

Luke grit his teeth as he leant closer to the microphone and flipped it on. "Negative. There's no distress. Everything's all–"

"Help!" the droid yelled. "He's the terrorist!"

Luke flipped the mic off instantly and Force-pushed the droid to the other end of the bridge. "Shut up!"

"Who's this?" the voice demanded. "Respond immediately."

"Kriff," Luke cursed. He might have aced piloting his skyhopper, but he could never land the freighter on his own. "You. Droid. You'll still have to land us. But not at the space port, not now that they're waiting."

"Freighter Ebullient, prepare to be boarded," the voice from console said. "We advise you surrender peacefully."

"I will not assist a terrorist," the droid the declared.

"No, but you will assist me."

"I cannot. My programming prevents it."

"Then I'll change it."

"No!" the droid refused. "I cannot allow you to modify my settings."

"Yeah, well... I really don't have time for this," Luke said. The droid tried to back away from him, but Luke held it in place with the Force and then pulled the droid to him.

"No! No, you cannot do this!" the droid protested as Luke opened a panel at the back of its head.

"Don't worry, I won't make any major changes. I'm just going to reboot you after I've made a tiny alteration. I won't touch your personality, I promise."

"You cannot-t-t-t!" the droid screeched in distress, but its voice faltered as Luke switched it off. He dragged the droid to the console, connecting it to the dataport so he could have its diagnostics on screen. It didn't take him long to figure out how to turn off the restrictions for whom it took orders from. All the while the voice over the comm demanded him to respond, demanded him to surrender.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as soon as the droid was back online.

"Good," the droid replied. "All systems are running normally. Not thanks to you, I'm sure."

Luke rolled his eyes. He didn't have time to spare. The surface of Formos down below already filled the viewport. "Perfect. I need you to pilot us to the planet. You have to find a place to land outside the settlement without getting us shot down or boarded."

"I will do my best," the droid agreed to Luke's relief. It connected itself to the dataport Luke had just unconnected it from. The hum of the engines turned deeper and their course changed.

"Tell me where the security footage is kept," Luke ordered. "It needs to be destroyed."

"Would you like me to erase it?" the droid asked.

"Ebullient, you do not have permission to entre the atmosphere", the voice over the comm informed. "Repeat. You do not–"

"Yes. All of it needs to go. Do whatever you can to ensure it can't be recovered. And turn off all cameras before you do it."

"Understood."

Luke waited uneasily as the freighter continued to descend and broke through the cloud cover. The droid remained silent as it piloted them towards the planet's surface. On the monitor, Luke could see that another ship was approaching them.

"Ebullient, this is your final warning. Stop your descend immediately and return to orbit!"

"Do we have shields?" Luke asked.

"Yes, but this is a passenger freighter," the droid replied. "It's not designed to stand up to military weaponry."

"Doesn't matter. We just need to land."

As soon as the words had left his mouth the freighter shook.

"At this rate it may be a crash landing," the droid said with dismay.

"Did we lose anything critical?"

"Not yet," the droid said as the second shot hit them. The entire ship was thrown off course for a moment and Luke had to grip the back of a chair bolted to its place to stay upright. If the ship sent after them decided to shoot for real with full power the passenger freighter was unlikely to be able to withstand a single hit.

"Head for that clearing!" Luke exclaimed, pointing at a space between the woods far below. The ship turned sharply as the droid obeyed and they closed the ground at alarming speed. Trees scraped at the freighter and they hit the ground hard, but safe. Luke knew he wouldn't have much time.

"Quickly. Show me which way the settlement is," Luke urged the droid. He had an idea, but it was better to be sure. The map the droid pulled on the screen was crude, but he only needed to know which way to run. Before he could abandon ship there was only one more thing he needed to do.

"I actually feel bad about this, but..."

The lights in the droids photoreceptors died as Luke's lightsaber pierced the droid, destroying the essential parts that made it work. Luke knelt by its fallen form, taking a moment to find its memory and back-up systems, and destroyed those as well. He couldn't leave evidence. Oddly enough he felt more remorse now than he had when he had beheaded the Zabrak girl on Felucia.

He ran off the bridge and snatched his backpack on his way out. He was faced with fresh cool air unlike anything he'd ever known before. The ground was rocky, but overgrown with short, deep green twigs with tiny white flowers. Had he had more time, Luke would have wanted to pause to take a closer look at this planet, this new environment. But he had no such luxury. He saw a pair of TIE fighters make a flyover and he beelined towards the deeper woods.

It was a pain to hike to the Imperial occupied spaceport of Formos through the rocky forest terrain, knowing the Imperial military was looking for him. It was easy to accidentally walk slightly off course and he had to constantly check he was still going to the right direction. He could hear the ships pass above him and he knew they could easily see him with thermal cameras. A few times he could even hear the stormtroopers closing in on him, but he managed to gain more distance between them by taking advantage of the terrain. He could leap over a ravine a normal being would have to either cross at an alternate point or wait for a vehicle. He could climb down a steep slope where he was certain only the small hoofed animals already pasturing there would follow. It had been cloudy, but light outside when he began his escape and it was nearly nightfall by the time he could finally see the city. He was still being pursued when he made it there and he knew he didn't have much time. It would be far more easy for them to catch him here. He had to find himself a ride and quickly, but after sneaking around a bit it became evident that the task might prove difficult. All legal means of transportations were off limit. All traffic off planet had been suspended, and all ships would be checked before allowed to take off.

Luke slipped away, remaining in shadows. Heavy clouds unlike anything he'd ever seen were gathering above on the sky. He could hear rumbling in the distance.

Luke walked the streets until he found what he was looking for –a cantina close to the spaceport. There were people loitering at the doors and Luke passed them unnoticed, hood firmly over his head. It was very warm, almost hot inside and he could spot the culprit instantly. Behind the bar, raised a few steps above the rest of the space, was an open kitchen with a big, fiery oven.

Ripples of conversation in multiple languages filled his ears. He saw spacers, workers and prostitutes, just like he would have seen at any cantina in any of the bigger cities on Tatooine. Unlike on Tatooine, however, he spotted a group of people dressed in Imperial uniforms in midst of a game of sabacc.

He turned away from them quickly, trying to make sense of the surrounding people, of who to go to. He closed his eyes and listened, letting the Force guide him, hoping it would reveal him which of the many, many voices to listen to.

"–should've stayed on Kessel–"

Luke frowned in concentration, trying to catch the same voice again.

"–do with some easy money–"

There it was again, clear above the noise. Eyes still closed he took a step towards it.

"–gotta leave soon–"

"–is waiting–"

Luke opened his eyes and looked across the cantina. He saw an odd pair sharing a private booth. They didn't see him looking. Determined he walked up to the bar and once he got the bar tender's attention, discreetly pointed at the booth.

"Do you know anything about those two?"

The bar tender looked over his shoulder. "The guy with the Wookiee?"

"Yeah. Do they look like they might have a ship?"

The bar tender shrugged. "Some spacers as far as I know. Could be smugglers. We get all sorts here. Can I get you something? Juice?"

"No, thank you. I've got all I need," Luke replied, handing over a generous amount of credits. He slipped away from the bar and walked up to the secluded table shared by a Human man and a Wookiee. Both fell silent as the hooded boy clad in black stopped at their table.

"Aren't you a bit too young for this crowd, kid?" the man coolly asked in Basic, though Luke has noticed hims startle ever so slightly as their eyes met.

Luke ignored the quip. "I hear you have a ship."

"So what if we do?"

He'd been right then. They were spacers.

"Is it a good ship?" he wanted to know.

The presumed smuggler glanced at his friend and then looked back at Luke with an amused lopsided smirk. "Better than anything else you can get from this dump."

He saluted him with his pint and downed a generous amount of the drink. Luke nodded and leant closer. "How much for a ride off planet?"

The Wookiee growled, slamming down his (hers? Luke couldn't tell) pint noisily on the table.

"We don't do passengers," the man told bluntly.

"I'll pay," Luke assured. "I just need a ride off planet. Doesn't matter where."

The man's eyes glanced at the Wookiee. He stared down Luke, assessing him. "What's your name, kid?"

"My name doesn't matter."

"I've gotta call you something."

Luke considered his options. Skywalker wasn't a name that should be spoken carelessly. Should he use Starkiller?

"You can call me Luke," he decided. His first name ought to be common enough. And the time he'd taken to think would surely convince the two that he'd given a false name.

The man gave a quick look at their surroundings, then waved at the seat next to his Wookiee friend. "Have a seat, Luke."

Luke looked at the massive Wookiee. Sith or not, he'd never win when it came to raw physical strength. He thought of his lightsaber and took a seat. Across him the man leant against the backrest, making himself comfortable.

"So... A ride you say?"

"Yes."

The Wookiee spoke and the man clearly understood him. He hummed in agreement and nodded.

"And I guess you want to leave, shall we say, unofficially?"

"That's right."

The man looked past him at the cantina. "So  _you_  are why all honest traffic's suspended."

Luke fought to keep his composure. "And if I am?"

The man shrugged. "All the same to me. But it's not free."

"I told you I can pay," Luke repeated annoyedly.

"Imperial credits?"

"Uh-huh."

The man considered his words. "Hmm... I don't know, kid. Imperial credits are risky."

"Not these," Luke assured. "You won't get any trouble using them."

"Is that so? And where did you get them then?"

Luke smirked from under his hood. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

They stared at each other for a second or two until the smuggler burst out laughing. The Wookiee next to him howled and his furry paw slammed on Luke's shoulders.

"You're funny, kid," the man chuckled. "All right, you've got yourself a ride."

Luke laughed as well and reached to shake the hand the man offered.

"The name's Solo. Han Solo. This is my First Mate, Chewbacca," Solo said, waving at the Wookiee. "We're flying to Tatooine. That good for you?"

Luke couldn't believe his luck. Keeping his sabacc face he finally removed his hood. "That's all right. I can find transport there."

The smuggler nodded. "We'll be landing to a city called Mos Eisley. Anywhere you need to go, you can find someone to take you there. If you can pay that is."

Mos Eisley? And he'd thought Tatooine was lucky! Mos Eisley was practically home! His swoop was in Mos Espa, but he could easily hitch a ride to Anchorhead from Mos Eisley. They did that back and forth all the time with Biggs and Tank.

"Don't worry about that. I have money. What's your price?"

The man looked at the Wookiee again. "What do you think, Chewie?"

The Wookiee replied, Solo frowned, the Wookiee growled something in return and the man agreed. He turned his attention on Luke again.

"Three thousand and we'll drop you off at Tatooine," Solo offered.

"Deal," Luke said immediately. It was a lot of money, but he just wanted to get home. A brief look of surprise passed the man's face, and Luke could feel that he hadn't expected him to agree.

"In advance," the smuggler pressed.

"No. I can pay you half now, and half when we're there." When Solo said nothing, Luke narrowed his eyes. "I agreed to your price."

The man and the Wookiee exchanged looks. "Fine. But I want that fifteen hundred in advance."

"I can arrange that." Luke assured. "I don't have all that in cash, but I can make the transfer right now if you want to. I promise no one can trace those credits anywhere that would get you in trouble or I wouldn't use them myself."

Solo shook his head. "Not here. Too many eyes."

"Okay," Luke agreed. He didn't sense any deception, but even if the two tried, he still had his lightsaber. He looked at the crowd as he waited for his to be companions finish their drinks. No one seemed to pay any special attention to them and he wasn't in the direct line of sight for any Imperials.

"We better get going then."

Luke rose and followed the two. Chewbacca towered over him, so tall that he could have easily reached the ceiling with his hands. Looking up at someone so tall reminded him of his father. He felt a pang in is heart. He hadn't spared a thought to Galen since landing here. Would Father know anything, he wondered? Surely Father would have felt what he felt, too. Perhaps when he got home Erv would have some news.

When they stepped out of the cantina, water poured from the sky and violent little streams had formed at the sides of the roads. Luke stopped at his tracks. He had never seen so much water in his life. Those few times he'd ever seen rain on Tatooine had been practically miracles and it had been tiny, tiny drops of water he could barely even feel on his skin, lasting less than a minute. Now water hammered down on him, drenching him immediately.

"Come on, the sooner we leave the better," Solo hurried him. "Don't tell me you're afraid of thunder."

"...thunder?" Luke repeated, but his words were swallowed by a mighty rumble straight above them. Lightning lit the sky.

"Chewie, this is perfect. The storm will cover us. Come on, kid."

Luke hurried to follow his new companions. Pulling the hood over his head he splashed over the flowing water, soaking his shoes. He disliked the feeling immediately and as they navigated the streets he started feeling cold. Every time the thunder rumbled he glanced at the sky. By the time they finally arrived to the docking bays, he was shivering. They paused under a roof to wait for a pair of patrolling troopers to leave. Chewbacca shook himself, splashing water on them.

"There she is," Solo pointed out proudly. Through the rain Luke saw a battered ship he thought was probably a Corellian freighter.

"What a piece of junk!" he exclaimed before thinking.

"She may not look like much, but she's got where it counts," Solo huffed offendedly, but Chewbacca laughed. "Let's go."

The ramp led to a curving corridor. They were all dripping water, even Chewbacca who had again tried to shake off the water before stepping in. The first thing Solo did was to discard his jacket. Luke followed the example with his long black robe, being careful to conceal his lightsaber in its hidden pocket. Feeling a tiny bit lost he followed Solo and Chewbacca to the ship's cockpit. It felt small and cramped compared to  _Rogue Shadow_ 's generous cockpit. He watched Solo and Chewbacca complete the pre-flight sequences with no particular hurry. Outside the rain hammered the ship. Luke watched in awe as the water hit against the viewport. Litres upon litres of water just rained down from the sky. On Tatooine it would be worth a fortune.

"Okay," Solo spoke, turning to look at him over his shoulder. "We're ready to leave as soon as I have my fifteen hundred."

"Give me your details and I'll make the transfer."

The man rummaged through the various compartments at his arm's reach until he found a datapad. Luke waited as still dripping wet Wookiee never let his eyes off him. He got the feeling that if he tried to swindle them, the Wookiee would rip his arms off.

Luke accepted the datapad and completed the transfer. Despite the knowledge that he had access to more or less untraceable credits, it nevertheless irrationally worried him that something would go wrong. Nothing did, though, and Solo grinned approvingly after double checking he'd received his money.

"Happy to do business with you, kid."

"Likewise," Luke agreed silently. He was itching to get away. Each time he shifted weight from foot to foot uncomfortably he could feel and hear the water in shoes.

The ship's main engines hummed to live and only then did Solo turn on any headlights. The radio beeped immediately when they lifted off. Chewbacca opened the channel.

"Millennium Falcon, return immediately. You are not authorised to take off."

Solo reached for the radio and turned it off without replying.

"Ever shot anything, kid?"

"Uh...yes? Animals. With a skyhopper."

"Good. There's a gun well right back there," he said, pointing towards the corridor they'd entered the cockpit. "Get down there and be ready to shoot. We're probably not facing heavy resistance, but they're going to send a few TIEs on our tail."

"Okay," Luke agreed with a nod. He discarded his backpack at the gun well entrance. Climbing down was a bizarre experience as the artificial gravity changed halfway, and suddenly the ground was right in front of him. Solo was flying at cloud level right below the storm. Luke could feel the winds attempting to blow them off course. Then they dived straight through the storm and above it, ascending faster and faster. Soon they had left the atmosphere and he could hear the engines switch from atmospherical to space. The planet disappeared from his sight, but they had already been quite far away from it. The hyperdrive vibrated through the entire ship as it turned on and then he felt the now familiar nudge as the ship made its jump.

Luke leant back at his seat with a relieved sigh. Once he'd thought he'd seen the TIEs pursuing them, but they had been too far away for him to want to try take proper aim. He was glad he hadn't needed to shoot down any Imperial pilots. Though he might never be one of them, he still dreamt of it.

"All clear, kid," he heard Solo's voice from the headset he'd never worn. Luke took it as a sign to leave the gun well. He was faced with both Solo and Chewbacca waiting for him.

"Lounge's this way. You want caf?"

Luke looked at him surprise and Galen's words sprung up to his mind:  _You're not making friends_. He felt guilty immediately. How could he have forgotten about him, even for a second? He shivered again from cold and suddenly felt just overwhelmingly tired. He nodded.

"Sure. Thanks. That'd be nice," Luke replied gratefully.

_He could drug you. He could poison you._

Luke dismissed the thoughts as he followed the men to the lounge and took a seat. He still didn't sense any ill intentions. Left alone he leant back on the seat, closing his eyes, reaching deep into the Force.

_Where are you, Galen? What happened to you?_

His eyes stung, but he willed away the sadness. There was no use being sad, was there? If something had happened, if someone had harmed or killed Galen, feeling sorry about it wouldn't change a thing. The only thing he could do was to find out who did it and avenge Galen. Anger was the feeling he needed. His brother would do the same for him.

He opened his eyes when he heard Chewbacca return. He had a large towel draped around his shoulders and he threw a blanket at him with a growl Luke didn't understand. He accept the blanket with genuine gratitude and thanked Chewbacca.

The Wookiee sat next to him, making growling noises and pointing at his feet.

"Sorry, I don't speak...uh...Wookiee?"

"Shyriiwook is the word you're looking for," Solo said as he entered the lounge. He set three mugs of caf on the small table. "Chewie said you should take off your shoes."

"Oh." Luke looked down at his feet sheepishly. There was water pooling on the floor around his shoes.

"Don' worry about it," Solo dismissed, clearly having noticed the boy's sudden embarrassment.

Luke followed the advice. He folded up his bare feet under him and enveloped himself with the blanket before taking his caf. Next to him, Chewbacca seemed to be already finishing his enormously sized mug. The Wookiee spoke to him again. Luke turned to Solo, who'd taken a seat as well, for translation.

"He wants to know if you play dejarik," Solo interpreted, pointing at the table.

Luke looked at it, realising its black and red square pattern made some sense to him. "I don't. Sorry."

Solo shrugged. "Too bad. I'm not a big fan, either. I prefer sabacc. How about a game?"

Luke shook his head. "No thanks. How long till we reach Tatooine?"

"'bout two, three hours. I don't like stressing the hyperdrive."

"You could go faster?"

"Absolutely. Falcon's the fastest ship in the Galaxy," Solo said proudly.

"Sure," Luke agreed solemnly. His thoughts still lingered on Galen.

Solo interpreted his tone differently: "I'm not joking. I've modified her myself."

"I'll take your word for it."

Luke sipped his caf silently. He wasn't a big fan of caf, but the hot drink was nice and warmed up his body. For a moment there was a blissful silence, but then Solo, who apparently disliked silence, had to break it.

"Hey, not that it's any of my business, but..." the Captain spoke. "You look troubled. Everything ok, kid?"

Luke looked at the spacer. His nails pressed hard against his palms and for reasons he couldn't quite fathom, he found himself telling the truth: "I think... I think my brother might be dead."

"Oh..." Luke could feel his confession had made the man uncomfortable. "Sorry to hear that."

"I will get whoever did it," Luke replied with fierce determination. He could feel the hatred towards whoever had done this boil up within him. He would find the culprit and kill them.  _Someone_  would get to experience his wrath.

Solo assessed him. "Kid, look. Not my business, but... There was a terror alert on Formos. Then up comes this kid who needs to get away no matter the destination. Can't help but to wonder."

Luke said nothing, so Solo continued: "Hokey ancient religions aren't for me, but I heard the word Jedi thrown around."

"I'm not a Jedi."

"Didn't say you were. I've travelled from one end of the Galaxy to the other and I've never seen anything that'd make me believe there ever was a thing called Jedi."

 _The Jedi were real_ , Luke wanted to say. He wanted to say he'd seen one –killed one. But it wasn't in his best interest to do so, and therefore he just shrugged.

"You're a bounty hunter or something?" Solo wanted to know.

Luke shook his head and sipped to caf to hide behind the mug. "Or something. Forget it. I shouldn't talk about it."

But Solo wasn't about to drop the subject. The man leant closer. "Listen... Luke, right? Whatever it is, it's not worth it. Get yourself an honest job."

"Look who's talking," Luke huffed. "You guys are smugglers, aren't you?"

Chewbacca burst into a roaring laughter that startled Luke. Between his laughter the Wookiee spoke. Solo dismissed him. "Yeah. Yeah we are. And it's a tough life."

Luke shrugged. "I don't mind."

When he was a child, he had dreamt of an adventure. Then his father turned up, sent Galen to them and everything changed. Suddenly he had a purpose, a goal greater than just being a farm boy dreaming of flying away. Luke couldn't imagine life without the Force, without trying to learn to master every aspect of it. Being a Sith learner was hard, but it was worth it. It had opened up a whole new world for him. It had made him strong and powerful.

Chewbacca spoke again and this time Solo appeared to listen. He hummed and nodded in agreement several times before turning back to Luke.

"How about this, kid. Come with us. We could use someone like you."

Luke's fingers curled up around the mug. He thought of his lightsaber hidden between the folds of his black robe and of the headless Zabrak girl. "You don't know a thing about me."

"I trust my gut. I'm a good judge of character."

Luke looked at the man. There was a part of him that wanted to say yes. A part of him would have wanted to throw everything away and go on an adventure with these strangers like he'd always dreamt of as a child. To go to the far end of the Galaxy and back like Solo had said, and find out what happened to his brother.

Luke shifted his eyes away from the man. He knew he couldn't. He had people waiting for him.

"Thanks, but... I can't. I need to find out what happened to my brother."

"We could help you out with that," Solo offered. "You meet a lot of people and hear things in this line of work."

Luke smiled a little, but declined: "You couldn't. I'd just get you killed."

Solo looked almost offended. "I'm a difficult man to kill," he said, placing his hand on the blaster at his belt. "I've had people try."

"Maybe, but you really don't know the type of people I'll be up against."

"I can handle it," Solo said self-assuredly.

"You really couldn't."

"And you could?"

"Yes," Luke replied, his tone taking a darker edge. "Trust me, I can take care of myself."

"Judging by the chatter on Formos I believe that."

"You shouldn't look too much into it," Luke warned.

Solo regarded him quietly for a moment. He downed what remained of his caf in one go and stood to leave. "Think about it, kid."

* * *

 The suns shone brightly as they always did on Tatooine. The warmth that greeted him as soon as the landing ramp opened was welcomely familiar and in odd contrast to his still wet shoes and robes.

"Kid. Luke."

Luke turned around to see Captain Solo and his First Mate stand at the entrance looking down at him. He had paid, he had all his belongings. "...yeah?"

"Chalmun's Cantina. Remember that name."

"Chalmun's?" Luke repeated confusedly.

"If you ever need to find us that's the place to ask. It's not far from here. We stop by often."

"I'll remember that," Luke promised. He'd never heard of the place, but then again this close to the spaceport wasn't exactly the height of Mos Eisley's nightlife, so it was unlikely he and his friends would have stumbled by. He turned to leave.

"Good luck, kid."

Luke lifted his hand for a wave, but didn't turn back as he muttered "thanks," and walked away. The Sith need no luck, he thought. Only the Force.

* * *

 Luke had no choice, but to call Uncle Owen for a ride from Anchorhead. It was difficult to say what his uncle's reaction to it was. Something seemed to startle him, but he said nothing. Luke didn't dare to ask about Galen. He still couldn't feel him and it confused him. Something horrible had happened, of that he was sure. And yet...though he could not feel Galen, the more time passed the more he could not feel the absence of Galen. It made no sense whatsoever.

"Luke!" Beru left everything and hurried to him. He embraced her back, fighting back tears. He couldn't let her see. He couldn't tell her. He wasn't even sure of what had happened –if anything had happened.

"I'm home," he said, smiling shyly.

"Oh, my boy, I was so worried," Beru murmured.

"I'm all right," Luke assured her. "There was nothing to worry about. I was never in any danger. I was just observing."

"I know. I can't help it, though. Let me have a look at you," she said and pulled away from him. Her hands cupped his cheeks and she looked at his face –shocked by what she saw. She blinked, then shook her head ever so slightly and smiled again, but there was sadness in her eyes.

"What?" Could she somehow see he wasn't telling the whole truth? Could she see the guilt in his eyes?

"Nothing, it's nothing," Beru assured him and let go. "Where's Galen?"

Luke swallowed, hoping Aunt Beru didn't notice.

"Father wanted him at Scarl," he said. It wasn't a lie. "That's all I know."

He attempted a happy smile. He couldn't tell them. He just couldn't. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"I hope so," Beru agreed. "It's quiet here without you boys."

Though it had only been little over a week, she had missed them terribly. She even missed PROXY. The droid had become a valuable companion and helper for her in the house while the boys had gone to school and Owen had been working.

"We need to arrange a party for him," Luke blurted out. "He, uh... We need to celebrate. When he comes back. Father, he– He knighted him! He knighted Galen! He finally said that Galen's his apprentice!"

"That's wonderful news," Beru smiled, but again there was a hint of sadness in her voice. About time, she thought to herself. She remembered well the few times Galen had confessed his insecurities to her –how he feared he wasn't good enough for Vader, how he yearned for some acknowledgement that he'd done well. The latter the boy had never said out loud in those exact words, but Beru could tell the boy was desperate for Darth Vader to recognise him as his true apprentice. He was always quick to hide behind his shell, swearing it didn't matter, explaining how he was proud to have Darth Vader teach him.

Beru yearned to tell him that he  _was_  an apprentice, but she had sworn Lieutenant Lekauf and Darth Vader she would never reveal anything she heard form them to either of the boys. Though she had never heard Vader call Galen his apprentice, Erv constantly referred to him as such when they were alone.

When Vader had visited almost five years ago, the first and only time since he turned their lives upside down by coming looking for Luke, Beru had confronted him and called Galen his apprentice to his face and he had never denied it.

"Look at him. He's your apprentice.  _You_  took him from his parents, you  _chose_  to train him. After all you've put him through he deserves your acknowledgement. You should show some appreciation."

The man she had once known as Shmi's little boy had stared down at her in silence for a long moment, but she had been determined not to back down. Vader had left Galen in their care, so she would stand up for the boy.

"I will once he has finished his training. I have no reason to praise him before that," the Sith Lord had said to her surprise. She had expected for him to brush her off completely. She had expected far crueler words. Knowing now that he had finally done something to prove them all that Galen truly mattered elated her.

"I want to get him those Ooo-Temiuk style cakes he really likes," Luke rambled. "The ones form that Rodian confectionery shop in Bestine."

"We'll get those then," Beru promised him. The way she looked at him still bothered Luke, and he pulled further away from her.

"What's wrong?" He could feel there was something. Did she know he was lying? No, she wouldn't go along if she knew. She wouldn't talk about cakes if she knew Luke had lied he'd been sent with Galen or that Galen might be dead.

"Nothing's wrong, honey. I'm sorry, it's nothing new, but just...it'll take time for me to get used to this. It's not bad," she reassured him, but her smile still did not reach her eyes. "You look very handsome."

Luke blinked at her. "What are you talking about..?"

"Your eyes, of course."

Luke frowned in confusion. He felt dread creep at his back. "My...eyes?"

"Didn't you know? They're yellow. Like sometimes when you've been training hard."

"What..?" He remembered the surprise on Solo's face when their eyes first met. Humans generally didn't have yellow eyes.

"I want to see."

Luke hurried to the closest mirror. True enough, his eyes still gleamed golden in the lights. He knew this happened to him often when he drew his power from the dark side, but he had managed to catch the sight only a handful of times himself. They always disappeared quickly. Luke stared at them in fascination, waiting to see the yellow clear off, but it never did.

He supposed he did feel more connected to the dark side than he normally did. There was darkness within him that hadn't previously been there and it seemed to have settled in. The darkness felt good. Comforting. He didn't want to let go of it least he'd forget how he'd felt when Galen's pain had echoed through the Force. In the mirror his eyes narrowed as he again felt the anger flare within. Whoever had hurt Galen would pay with their life.

"Luke?" he heard Beru call him. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm good," Luke replied over his shoulder. He turned back to the mirror one last time and met the gaze of his golden eyes. He wasn't lying, he realised. He felt good. No matter what, he would find out what had happened to Galen.

* * *

 Finding out what had happened proved to be a lot harder than Luke had thought. Days went by and all he could do was wait, wallow in unease and discomfort and worry. He tried to distract himself by training. Another week passed with no news.

Aunt Beru got worried. Uncle Owen still said it was fine, but Luke could tell that even his uncle was secretly worrying. After three more days Aunt Beru said she couldn't take it and that she would contact Lieutenant Lekauf. Luke tried to speak her out of it, but she had made her mind. She knew immediately Luke was keeping a secret from her and Luke had no choice but to confess.

She was angry. Of course she was. Uncle Owen was, too, in his silent way. It was way worse than being yelled at. If anything, he seemed more disappointed than angry that Luke would have lied to them in such way.

Erv had no news. Even more so, he was unable to contact Galen. He tried to contact Galen several times with no response. Worse, he feared his messages weren't even reaching the  _Rogue Shadow_. After it became evident that there would be no response from Galen, Erv took their last resort. Ever since becoming the link between the Lars-family and Darth Vader, he had been given means to contact Lord Vader directly strictly under the orders to never do so unless it was an emergency. He had never contacted Vader directly before, but with Galen gone for almost a month he finally agreed to it.

They got no response. As with Galen, Erv's message got nowhere. Whatever had happened, the direct line he had had to Darth Vader was gone. They were left completely isolated and on their own. Galen didn't return. Vader never contacted them.

As weeks went by, Luke immersed himself in his training. It was the only thing that seemed to keep the torrent of emotions within him in check. His eyes remained yellow.

"I don't understand," Erv admitted over the dinner table. He had finally towed in both Luke and Galen's speeders from Mos Espa earlier that day. Two months had passed since Luke's return. "I've heard nothing from Lord Vader. I've checked all possible news and nothing seems out of the ordinary, but I can't reach him and he hasn't tried contacting us, either. Something must have happened. Whatever it is, clearly Lord Vader is unable to move without compromising your security."

"It's my fault," Luke said quietly. "I should have never gone with Galen."

"Now, now..." Erv soothed. "While you certainly should not have gone with him, whatever happened isn't you fault. If anything, it seems that you being there helped him. Who knows what Mara Jade would have done had you not killed her."

His words did little to ease Luke's guilt. "Galen said Father would kill him if he found out I was there."

Despite Galen's certainty, Luke had never believed it. Hadn't wanted to believe it. How could Father do that? Why would he do that? But now, weeks and weeks later doubt had began to creep in his heart. What if Galen had been right? What if..?

Erv and Beru exchanged looks. The man sighed. "Lord Vader may make threats, but that's one he will never carry out."

"How can you be sure? Galen's known him all his life," Luke insisted, wanting Erv to convince him otherwise.

Erv straightened his back. "Because I know more about you boys than I am authorised to say. I dare say I know Lord Vader better than any of you do. And that includes Galen."

"But if he's dead, who else could have done it?" Luke snapped.

"It could have been a Jedi. Any of the Inquisitors or Palpatine's Hands," Erv reasoned. "Even PROXY."

"No," Luke denied with absolute certainty. "PROXY will never defeat him."

"In any case, we don't know what happened," Erv said, ever the voice of reason. "For now, it's too early to pronounce him dead."

"But I felt it," Luke insisted angrily, slamming his hands on the table so that the tableware clattered. To his right, Aunt Beru jumped.

"Luke."

The single solemnly pronounced word from Uncle Owen had Luke immediately regret his action. He slumped against the chair pushed back against the wall, eyes at his lap. "Sorry. But I... I know something horrible happened to him. I  _did_  feel it."

"That may be so, but it's not enough to draw conclusions," Erv concluded. He stayed at the homestead for several days, observing his training and taking notes for his reports for Darth Vader. Whether he did so because he truly believed he would get to submit his report to Darth Vader or just to make him feel better, Luke didn't know. He was grateful for the man's presence nevertheless. Erv's calmness seemed to soothe is own nerves, thought it didn't help when night fell and he lay all alone in his bed.

In his dreams he was floating. Water, he thought. He was immersed, suspended in water. Or Galen was. Both of them? He could feel an aching pain all over his body. He saw General Kota, and in his dreams he spoke the words Galen had said he'd spoken during their duel:  _Vader won't be your master for long._

He saw what Galen had described seeing: trees so tall they reached the skies. Trees again, yet different. Overgrown and murky. Snow. He felt the same pain and despair and horror he'd felt onboard Ebullient.

 _Shackles and darkness_ , Kota's voice rang in his ears. R _age._

His vision filled with green and the moment the lightsaber pressed against his eyes he was wide awake, short of breath and sweaty. He sat on his bed, still feeling the terror he'd felt in the dream. From there it didn't take long for him to start shouting in his sleep. He was reminded of the times when he was a child and how he would wake up from nightmares to find Aunt Beru in his room ready to comfort him. It made him feel small and weak.

"You're worried about him. We all are," Aunt Beru consoled him. "You used to have terrible night terrors when you were a child. I'm not surprised that they've returned."

For the sake of Aunt Beru Luke agreed. But he knew she was wrong. They were more than dreams. He  _knew_  there was some truth to them.

 _Kota_ , he thought. Somehow Kota was connected to all this. Why else would he be reminded of the Jedi in his dreams? He dreamt of cold, lonely darkness. Just floating in silence, alone and confused. Scared. Hurt.

"I dream of him, Aunt Beru," he whispered. He gripped the edges of his blanket, harder and harder –so hard that it hurt, but at least the sensation was real and right there. Controllable. Distracting.

"He's in pain. I feel it. He's scared and confused and alone."

As time went by the nightmares never left him. He barely saw his friends these days. He couldn't stop thinking of Galen, and hiding his yellow eyes was too much of an effort anyway. He never went to the leaving party thrown for Tank before he left for the Academy. He spent his days training and meditating. Sometimes he drove far to the southern mesas where he and Galen used to train their Force lightning.

Luke kept thinking of General Kota.  _Shackles and darkness._

What if Galen's fears had truly been founded? Could Kota be alive? And if so...surely the Jedi would hold a grudge against Galen. Galen had blinded him, hadn't he? What if Kota had gone after Galen? Perhaps his injuries had been far less severe than Galen had thought. Maybe Kota had ambushed Galen. Maybe, maybe, maybe. But it was all he had. The only sensible explanation he could come up with.

"Galen's alive," he announced with absolute certainty. Luke had meditated upon it for days and it had only fuelled his anger and determination. It was undeniable he had felt something horrible happen, but now he could not tell what it had been. His dreams seemed to point for one direction only: "And Kota's got something to do with it."

"Who's Kota?"

"A Jedi Father sent Galen to kill. But something went wrong. Galen told me that himself. Kota  _is_  alive. I don't know how, but  _somehow_  he's connected to all of this."

"Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?" Beru tried to calm him. She did not want to admit it to even herself, but lately, Luke had begun to frighten her. She had never seen him like this. Luke was constantly on edge, ready to explode at slightest provocation. He did nothing but train with his lightsaber all day long. At night the dreams plagued him.

"They're more than dreams," Luke claimed tetchily. "They're visions. Galen and I, we're connected. I can  _feel_  he's in pain. He's frightened and alone. I  _need to_  help him. I need to find him."

His tone carried a heavy, desperate urgency. Beru could understand his need to do something, but... "Where would you start?"

"Nar Shaddaa," Luke replied without a slightest of hesitation. "I need to go there and find Kota. If I find him, I'll find Galen."

And so, albeit reluctantly, it was agreed. There was nothing they could truly do to keep Luke from going.

"I'll find him," Luke swore as he embraced Aunt Beru for goodbye. "I'll be back, I promise. With Galen."

* * *

Finding the destruction that the fall of the skyhook had left behind was easy. Even almost four months later the site remained a mess and everyone still talked about it. While a big part of the area had been evacuated successfully before what was left of the skyhook had crashed, hundreds of people had still lost their lives that day. Many more had been injured.

Luke spent his days speaking with people. He visited hospitals and emergency centres, trying to find anyone who might have seen Kota. There was nothing suspicious about him asking around. He was hardly the only one trying to find someone who went missing that day. At first all his leads led nowhere, but eventually he got lucky. In a small, dodgy looking health practice one of the nurses remembered a delirious man brought in with an injury that matched a lightsaber wound.

"Something hot had burnt away his eyes," the nurse explained. "He had some minor injuries, too, but I've never seen anything like that. The bridge of his nose had just melted away."

"Do you know where he is now? Is he local?"

"Don't think so. He didn't want to leave his name."

It didn't seem to bring Luke any closer to finding Kota, but at least he knew now that two days after the duel Kota had still been here. He continued his search in the area, speaking with shop keepers and residents for more clues. It eventually led him to a shelter where he learnt Kota had stayed for several weeks after leaving the practise. The staff remembered him well, though he had used an alias: Morra Yi. Luke was told that Yi had slept off some fever and seemed depressed afterwards. Once recovered some he had left against the staff's advice. They didn't know where he had went or where he had come from. They could only point him the direction he had walked off to.

"Yeah, I think I know who you mean," an Imperial officer of all people told him during his second week of searching. "He was begging over there at those stairs for a few weeks. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him recently..."

Through slums and suburbs, pursuing each lead no matter how small and trusting the Force Luke pressed on until eventually after days of hunting down the man he found himself at a worn down seedy looking cantina where a man fitting the description had been seen frequently the past few days. Few words exchanged with some regulars outside confirmed everything he'd heard and more. Luke only needed to step through the door.

Rahm Kota was inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking up with the story and reading this new chapter. If you have a moment, please let me know your thoughts.


	9. IX

"It was a massacre, my lord. Ninety-seven victims, crew included."

Darth Vader did not acknowledge the colonel's words. He had seen the initial report on his way to Formos. Mostly families and migrant workers. Their wounds matched that of a lightsaber, supporting the distress call received immediately after freighter  _Ebullient_  had emerged from hyperspace. A crew support droid had raised the alarm and claimed the attacker was a Jedi.

There were no bodies on  _Ebullient_  now. They had all been removed prior to his arrival. He had been offered a chance to see them, but the images of the wounds were enough. He did not need to see victims in person to know they had been killed with a lightsaber –and there were only so many beings in the Galaxy who knew how to wield one.

"Where did the ship come from?" he wanted to know.

"Drualkiin. It started from Centares and followed the Triellus Trade Route. Headed for Syvris. It does this route routinely."

"I want security footage from each spaceport  _Ebullient_  made a stop at. I want each passenger identified."

"Or course, my lord."

It made no sense as a target for a Jedi or any anti-Imperial terrorist for the matter. It was not an attack against the Empire and killing civilians in this manner was not typical for a Jedi who sought his attention. The attack baffled him.

"Have any recordings been recovered yet?" Vader asked. The initial report stated all security footage had been deleted and the droid had been destroyed to the point it was unlikely anything could be salvaged from it.

The man wetted his lips uneasily. "No, my lord. We are a small outpost. There's no equipment or specialised staff. We've requested–"

"I will have crew from my Star Destroyer assist you until the technicians arrive."

"Thank you, my lord. That will speed up the process."

Vader hoped so. The alleged Jedi was long gone, but perhaps he could at least be identified. For now they only had some images taken from above the forest as the Jedi fled. It only served to confirm he was of humanoid species. The far more interesting lead they had was a recording of the suspected Jedi's voice over the comm.

"Negative. There's no distress. Everything's all–"

The young man's voice was then cut off by the droid and he never responded again. Darth Vader played the short clip over and over again. Something about it bothered him, but he could not quite place it. The voice seemed too young to belong to any of the still missing Jedi he had personally been acquaintance with.

Something familiar lingered on  _Ebullient_. He could feel dark remnants, but that could easily be due to so many violent deaths in an enclosed place.

"What about the ship that took off without a clearance?"

"Ah, yes.  _Millennium Falcon_. We will keep our eyes open for it, but it's likely unrelated, my lord. It carried some cargo from Kessel. Perfectly legal, but in light of recent events... Smugglers, my lord. Petty criminals who freaked out because of the take off restrictions."

"Perhaps," Darth Vader mused. "I want that ship found."

Regrettably it was unlikely the ship would be found. Especially here on the Outer Rim. The list of ships and vehicles wanted by the Empire for varying reasons was endless.

There was little for Darth Vader to do here. Under normal circumstances an Inquisitor would have been sent, but Vader suspected Sidious had specifically sent him as some kind of a punishment. The news of the attack came soon after his confrontation with Starkiller.

It worked for him. It gave him an opportunity to make arrangements for Starkiller without his master breathing down on his neck. Or so he had thought.

Darth Vader did not often find himself subjected to being thrown around like a ragged doll, but that was exactly what his master did to him once he returned to Coruscant. He had been a fool to think he could keep Starkiller from his master.

"I told you to kill the boy," Darth Sidious seethed.

"We can still use him," Vader attempted to reason as he painfully dragged himself on his knees. His prosthetics had suffered some damage and the left leg especially pressed against his skin sharply.

"Use him? What use does he have?" Sidious spat out and Vader found himself thrown at the far end of the room again. "This boy of yours is dangerous if let loose."

"He's loyal and strong in the Force," he began as he got up yet again and limped back to kneel in front of his master. "His skills exceed those of any Inquisitor or Hand. He killed Shaak Ti."

"Loyal?" Sidious questioned as if he thought it amusing. "After you stabbed him?"

"He has no one else," Vader maintained. "He  _will_ return to me and obey me. He has no other loyalties, he has nowhere else to go or turn to."

Darth Sidious walked towards him. "And if you are wrong, Lord Vader?" he questioned once he was right in front of him, standing over his hunched, beaten frame.

"Then he will die," Darth Vader simply said. There was no alternative, just as there was none for him but to bow down and obey –or resist and die in vain.

His master seemed to truly consider his words. The smirk that spread on Palpatine's face was sickening as he turned to address him once more. "Do you speak from experience, Lord Vader?"

His silence dragged on for a moment and despite himself he probably hunched even further. "Yes."

The Sith Master laughed and his hand rested on Vader's shoulder plate. "Rise, my friend. Very well. I shall keep Starkiller for now."

Darth Vader did as he was told and followed his master silently to his throne where Sidious took his seat, summoning his court and advisors back. His eyes gleamed with sudden greed and Vader knew he'd got him. Sidious wanted his apprentice for himself and so Vader was soon sent away with a promise that they would find use for his experiment.

With spies watching his every move it was difficult to act, but with time Vader knew he would succeed. He would have his apprentice.

* * *

 Bubbles floated slowly past Galen's eyes. He watched them go by for what must have been an eternity. Behind he could make out movement of shadowy figures and lights.

_Where..?_

He felt heavy yet weightless. He tried to move and his body was in agony instantly. A muffled, weak cry escaped his lips sending more bubbles float past his face. He could feel their gentle brush against his skin.

_Water?_

He heard noises, but they were indistinguishable and far away. The pain was almost unbearable. It was difficult to keep his eyes open, but he tried anyway, attempting to make sense of his surroundings.

Something pressed against his face and his throat burned with pain. He was going to choke and the pain worsened as he moved anxiously. Each movement hurt, but the more pain he felt the more he found himself twitching. The liquid against him felt thick and he just  _knew_  he was about to drown in it.

Smaller, more violent bubbles emerged from below. He saw a dark figure move closer and despite the agony each movement caused, he thrashed violently in a futile attempt to get away. Darkness brushed against him, its phantom touch burnt his mind and sent it to a full blown panic. The pain began to ease, his body went limp and in a state of confused, groggy terror his eyes closed and he fell back into a world of uneasy dreams.

* * *

Standing amongst medical equipment was nothing new to Darth Vader, though usually it was him subjected to whatever treatment or operation performed. Not today. He stood motionless, studying the naked, broken form of his unconscious apprentice submerged in a bacta tank. Tubes ran into his nose and throat, and a mask kept them in place. There were needles and more tubes attached to his arms and thighs.

Last time Vader had properly looked upon the boy he had been a broken, swollen mess. Time had been crucial in saving what was left of his apprentice if anything was to be salvaged. An average Human could survive up to three minutes in the vacuum of space without any permanent damage, though conscious only up to twenty seconds. A Human with the Force could do better, but Vader  _had_  just nearly killed the boy.

Predicting the Emperor's ultimatum, Vader had arranged a probe droid ready to collect Starkiller's body immediately. Everything went as planned and Starkiller was delivered here –one of his many, many pet projects: a medical research facility. He had meant to follow soon after to oversee what was to be done, but the attack on Formos had prevented that.

So far the investigation had gone nowhere. The Emperor had already dismissed the incident entirely, and it was therefore given little attention. It remained at the back of his mind, though for a completely different reason his master may have imagined. Weeks later Vader had noticed a total of three thousand credits taken from the funds reserved for Starkiller. The transaction was made well after his apprentice was in medically induced coma.

Due to his own security measures it was impossible to say where the transaction was made and where the credits were transferred to, but the timing seemed to oddly coincide with the mysterious attack on freighter  _Ebullient_. Perhaps it was a coincidence. Lekauf had access to Starkiller's funds, but he had his own funds similarly to Starkiller to cover both his living expenses and his research. As far as Vader knew, he had never touched Starkiller's funds.

Beru received a generous amount of credits twice a year through numerous proxies. If she needed more, she could have requested it through Lekauf. Perhaps there was an explanation, but for now he would not be able to hear it.

There was nothing linking Starkiller to Luke anymore. The instant Darth Sidious made his wrath known for Starkiller killing Mara Jade, Vader had severed everything that could be traced back to his son. The only thing he did not touch were the funds sent to Beru and those reserved for Lekauf and Starkiller. It would have been far more suspicious to suddenly suspend them.

Lekauf now had no means to contact him, nor did he have any immediate means to contact Lekauf –and that was how things remained two months later as stood watching the boy he nearly killed. Starkiller was nowhere near well enough to be released yet and therefore this was likely how things would remain until the foreseeable future.

It was a setback, but Darth Vader remained certain Starkiller would still prove useful despite Sidious. He knew he had brought down Starkiller's entire world by stabbing him in the back, but it had been a necessary move.

The desperation in the boy's voice when he begged Vader not to obey Sidious had touched something forgotten within him. When Vader smashed him against the wall with power previously reserved for his enemies, the torrent of fear and betrayal and despair he felt from his apprentice had been nearly overwhelming.

So much so that it had almost been a relief when the emergency shutters closed and Starkiller was as good as dead. A part of him had wanted to do so for years. A great part of him had wanted to leave it at that. He had already wanted to shred the boy in pieces when he learnt Starkiller had ill-advisedly killed Mara Jade and still let himself be discovered. Of course, as it turned out, Sidious had known of Starkiller's existence regardless, but it was unlikely things would have taken this turn without Mara Jade.

At least she was dead.

He did not regret his actions. His apprentice had failed and near death was a fitting punishment. What he had done to the boy had been necessary. And yet... The words that had echoed through the Force still besieged him.

_I'm sorry. I understand now. I failed you, my master._

In what he thought were his final moments Starkiller had apologised. He had of course done so hundreds if not thousands of times throughout his life, but the acceptance and odd serenity in those words haunted Darth Vader. He was well aware of Starkiller's partial death wish (he was after all intimately familiar with the feeling himself), but he had expected anger. He had felt that in the boy numerous times before –a hateful dare to take his life and cold acceptance at the face of it.

He did not know what to think of it.

His apprentice was broken, but by no means beyond fixing –one way or another he would have his apprentice back. Physically at least. The rest remained to be seen. The doctor leading the reconstruction of his apprentice had informed him Starkiller's body was responding well to the treatments, but he would remain submerged in bacta for a long time. So far they had managed to keep muscle loss to minimum, though once up the boy would surely be sore and stiff despite the best efforts.

Vader's hand curled into a fist as he attempted to find the cold resolve needed. Coming here, looking at his apprentice had evoked feelings he wanted nothing to do with. The boy was a tool and nothing more he reminded himself.

A sudden movement in the bacta tank caught his eyes. The body twitched. Starkiller's wild eyes shot from side to side and he seemed to attempt to lift his arms. Alarm sounded and one of the nurses rushed to the tank's controls.

"Subject is conscious!" he called.

"Again? Sedate him immediately."

Vader stepped closer to the tank as the sedatives were pumped into the bacta. Starkiller's emotions flared like a violent flame in the Force, shattering a glass left by the nurse's datapad and cracking each screen in the room. Vader reached out to feel Starkiller's confusion and savage fear that the mental connection only fuelled. The sedative took effect almost immediately. The boy's eyes fluttered shut, his body relaxed and he lost consciousness once more.

Darth Vader stood in silent vigil until checks were run on his apprentice's vitals. Once satisfied with what he had seen the Dark Lord marched away without looking back. The Emperor's project on Kamino awaited him.

* * *

_I'm...dead._

What a confusing thought.  _Why do I think I'm dead?_

_...do I think?_

Galen couldn't tell. For the longest time he thought he was floating. It was...almost peaceful. There were shadows and lights hovering just at the edge of his vision. He felt a distant ache that might have been pain.

There were moments when his whole world became a forest. Tall trees reached for the skies and in the distance he saw a figure clad in white. He couldn't tell who she was. Her features were blurry as if he were looking her through misted glass and as he approached she moved further from his reach until he could not see her anymore. Fear choked him as he heard the black monster's breath behind him. He looked up at the monster in bewildered horror, paralysed at its feet, clutching a lightsaber way too large for hands of a child.

He screamed as his master's lightsaber pierced through him, reliving the moment over and over and over again in a torturous loop.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..!" he sobbed into PROXY's metal chest. His only companion in the vast loneliness of the  _Executor_  extended his arms and held him as he cried for the pain of his injuries, for how frightened he felt, for how terribly he missed... He didn't know what or who he missed, but he missed it all the same, but all he had were PROXY and his master.

Darth Vader stood so incredibly tall and Starkiller was so small, so weak and so insignificant. Starkiller feared him, but even so...he was familiar. He was safe. This man was his entire world and he loved him more than anything. He would have done anything for him.

If only Luke didn't exist. He wished Master had  _never_  found him! He wished Luke were dead. He wished he could kill Luke and take his place.

Starkiller gripped the lightsaber with both hands, ready to strike. Luke looked up at him –through him– in fear. "Galen? Galen!"

Luke's fear morphed into anguish and his anguish became rage. The setting suns dyed the sky in hues of purple and pink above them and he could feel Luke's suffering as he pressed on searching, but for what? Galen did not know.

_The Sith always betray one another_ , Shaak Ti's voice echoed in his head.  _You betrayed him._

"Vader will not be your master forever."

Starkiller pressed his lightsaber down with all his might until the blade met with Rahm Kota's face and the man shouted in pain. Another voice joined in and he spun around to see a figure shackled in darkness.

"Galen!" the prisoner called as distance between them grew. Galen lunged forward, but mist arose around them until he could not see the figure anymore. He stumbled forward, feeling the soft ground below his feet.

Trees again, yet different. Overgrown they blocked daylight from reaching him, leaving him amongst the fog rising from the swamps until it fully enveloped him and he was floating in water again. He heard machines beeping rapidly as his panic grew.

_Where am I? What is happening?!_

The snow suffused him with desperation. He wanted none of this, yet he knew he could  _never_ run from it. The icy wind cut his face with its fury and he fell down with no energy or will to get up. Let it all end here.

He saw Juno, heard her voice somewhere far away as she spoke of the snowy meadows of her home. He tried to reach her, but with each step her expression grew more pained and soon she screamed and cried and begged. She was suffering because of him and Galen couldn't bear it.

"Juno! I will find you! I  _will_  save you!" he swore, trying to make himself heard beyond the impossible distance stretching between them. He clutched his lightsaber, striking at whatever forces where keeping her from him.

Luke screamed and held what was left of his arm. Starkiller staggered back. His master lay on the floor, legs severed, his breath wheezing unnaturally and his life-support destroyed. Starkiller stared at the sight in silent horror. A sickening feeling at the pit of his stomach told him  _he_  had done this.

_No..._

He stepped back, stumbling and falling down. He rolled off to get up, but froze as he came face to face with Juno and her dead eyes staring into the rainy skies above.

_No..._

He scrambled back on his feet, eyes darting from corpse to corpse. PROXY, a mangled piece of metal. Luke stabbed through the abdomen still at his seat, black smoke rising from Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen who lay motionless on the floor. Erv's scarred face completely missed the unscarred half. Everyone he knew from school scattered dead across the passenger freighter's cabin. Rahm Kota, Shaak Ti and every single untrained Jedi and Padawan he had ever slain were there and no matter which way he looked he saw bodies –and then he stopped dead at a face that ought to have been familiar. Amongst the corpses a man clad in brown Jedi robes approached him with a sorrowful smile.

"I never wanted any of this for you," he said, voice carrying heavy regret.

"Who are you?" Starkiller demanded. He did not know this Jedi. Should he have known him? The man's expression became alarmed and with desperate urgency he shouted: "Run!"

"Father!" Galen cried out in realisation, desperately reaching out for the Jedi, but it was too late. The monster had found him, he could feel its black eyes on him. The Jedi faded away and in his place stood Darth Vader.

"Father," he cried again, not knowing whether he spoke to the ghost of a Jedi or his master. He felt his master's arm wrap around him and he saw the lightsaber stick through his stomach. He staggered away, gasping for breath, but the arm found him and the lightsaber pierced through him once more. He could not escape it. No matter which way he stumbled his master always found him and the punishment was always the same.

* * *

"Lord Vader."

Darth Vader turned around to see a young officer.

"What is it?"

"An update regarding the attack on Formos. We have a face, my lord," she announced and extended her arm to offer him a datapad. He could not recall her name, but she was from ISB and had been keeping him up to date regarding the investigation on the Formos incident.

Vader accepted the datapad. "Excellent."

As his hunt for this particular attacker was not deemed priority, the manpower looking into the security footage from  _Ebullient_ 's stops had been minimal. The investigation had taken over four months now, so it was about time he could see the face of this potential new generation of Jedi. He brought the datapad up to the line of his sight.

If his heart could have skipped a beat it would have.

Though grainy, he would have recognised the face of a young man in the zoomed image anywhere.

It had been years since he had laid his eyes on the child, but among Lekauf's regular updates were holos. Mostly footage of the two boys sparring for him to analyse their progress, but occasionally... Occasionally it was simply a holo of a boy that was his son.

_Luke..._

It was undoubtedly Luke.

Vader skimmed through the rest of the images quickly. He wore dark clothes and a dark robe. In most of the photos the hood hid his face, but it had been visible when he boarded  _Ebullient_. Vader opened the report accompanying the images. The attacker could be no one else. All other passengers were ruled out. Either they had disembarked earlier or been found dead onboard. The attacker, Luke, had boarder on Centares under a false name. Thank the stars for that.

How? How and why had Luke been on Centares? Where had he been going? Where was he now?

"Is that all?" he asked, willing his tone to remain disinterested.

"For now, my lord. We will find him," she pledged.

"Yes," Vader agreed gripping the datapad. The Emperor's spies still watched his every move. There was nothing he could do.

* * *

Luke marched into the cantina. There weren't too many people inside this early in on the day and he located the man he looked for quickly. At the very back a man sat alone with a bottle and a glass. His grey hair was unkempt and his eyes were covered with a dirty rag. Luke had only seen PROXY wear the Jedi's likeness once, one in which he had been younger and more dignified, but he recognised him nevertheless.

He marched at the table and slammed his hands against it, startling the old man.

"Are you General Rahm Kota?" he asked.

"Who's asking?" the blindfolded man countered, hand feeling the table until he found the bottle.

"I'm asking."

"And who are you?"

"Someone who knows  _what_  you are," Luke stated. "Stand up. I didn't come all this way for a drunken old man who can't even sit up straight."

"In that case you'll find yourself out of luck, my boy," Kota said, pulling his glass closer to pour himself another drink. "I came here to have a drink, not to pick up a fight. Leave while you still can."

"Not before I've spoken with you, Jedi," Luke said, boldly taking a seat across him. Kota sighed frustratedly.

"You've got the wrong man. I'm no Jedi. Can't you see, I'm blind."

"You weren't four months ago," Luke countered. "I know what happened."

Kota tensed at his words. "What do you want?"

"My brother."

Kota scoffed. "I don't know your brother. I don't even know who you are."

Luke's eyes narrowed in determination. "My name is Luke Skywalker. Son of Anakin Skywalker. A Jedi Knight."

"Skywalker..?" Kota repeated the name dubiously. Then he laughed. "Skywalker? I recognise that name, sure. You couldn't pick a name more obvious? You don't even need to be a Jedi to know that name."

Kota leant over the table and spoke sombrely: "My boy, Skywalker died years ago. You are not a Jedi."

Luke watched him take a generous gulp of his drink and then laugh again. "I may be drunk and I may be blind, but I can still feel the darkness in you. Even if you were Skywalker's son, you are now nothing but one of Vader's pets. Like the one who blinded me."

"I am  _not_  his pet, nor was the one he sent to kill you," Luke growled. "What have you done to him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"What have you done to my brother?" Luke roared, wiping everything off the table with his arm. "Where are you keeping him?"

"I don't know about your brother. Go back to your master, boy. I don't care about the Empire anymore. Leave me be and I won't kill you."

"You think you could kill me? Why don't we try,  _General_?" Luke drew his lightsaber and pointed it over the table at the Jedi's throat. Kota stumbled up and various exclamations of surprise could be heard around them. Few screamed and within moments the cantina was in chaos. Some made a beeline to the doors, others drew their blasters.

"Do I look like a warrior to you?" Kota asked, hands raised close to his face. "I don't even have a lightsaber."

"All too easy for me, then," Luke smirked, striking at the blind Jedi. Though drunk, Kota's reflexes still functioned and Luke's 'saber cut through a wooden chair the man had grabbed for protection. Several blasters were instantly pointed and fire at them, and Luke had to turn around quickly to deflect the shots.

For a moment Luke stood still, staring down at the other customers. He raised his free hand for everyone to see, and the crowd gasped as lightning gathered between his fingers.

"Stay out of this," he warned the bystanders and turned on his heels to shoot the lightning at Kota.

The Jedi was ready. His right hand reached out, stopping the bolts and gathering them together until he could release the deadly energy straight back at where it came from. Luke grunted as he was forced to protect himself from his own lightning.

Somebody fired at him again. The shooter moaned in pain and fell on the floor as Luke deflected the bolt straight back at him. Kota took his moment of divided attention as a chance to move further away from him.

"No you won't," Luke spoke under his breath as he charged to make sure the Jedi would not be able to step out of the cantina. The bartender shouted at them to leave in Huttese, then ducked behind the counter as Luke drove Kota closer to his direction. Around them the cantina had become near abandoned.

"What have you done to my brother?" he demanded again, lightsaber held in attack position.

"Boy, you are good, but not good enough," Kota said calmly. "I don't know anything about your brother. This is your last chance. Leave and I'll let you go."

"Not until I've got my brother back! He's alive, I can feel he's alive!" he shouted, releasing yet another blast of blue electricity at the man who held out both hands to keep the energy from reaching him.

"I warned you, boy," Kota said. The lightning hit Luke back with deadly accuracy, and a Force push immediately after sent him fly across the room. Luke jumped back on his feet to face Kota. The Jedi's stance and demeanour had changed.

Across the cantina Kota stood straight with his head held high. Luke grit his teeth and surged at him, gripping tightly at his lightsaber. The General was unarmed. At close range this would be an easy victory.

His attack run came to a sudden end when a table came flying straight at him, too quick for him to do anything but scream when it pushed against him, swiping him off of his feet. He didn't even have enough time to get up when a chair flew right at him, but this time at least he managed to deviate its course away from himself. The next one he cut in half with his lightsaber. It was far from over. Chair after chair flew at him. He was now battling furniture –not a Jedi.

With one powerful Force push Luke managed to send anything and everything that wasn't bolted to the floor fly away from himself. He smirked victoriously and charged at Kota once again –exactly as the Jedi expected him to. Though he wielded no weapon, he held his ground and only stepped out of Luke's lightsaber's way at the last possible moment. It had Luke lose his balance for a mere moment, but it was enough for Kota. He hit Luke on the back, and Luke fell. A boot just missed his face as Luke rolled around to safety.

He tried to get up, but Kota threw him against the bar with the Force, then gripped him and hurled him against the nearest wall.

Luke groaned in pain. Somewhere at the back of his mind fear began to rise its head. He had underestimated Kota. Even drunk and blind he stood against Luke.

_I can't give up_ , he thought. He  _had to_  find out what had happened to Galen. Kota would pay.

He got up, closing the distance between them quickly and swung his lightsaber at him. Kota moved out of its reach each time. He ducked behind Luke, his hand grasped for Luke's wrist and with one quick movement the Jedi disarmed him. The hilt clattered on the floor and Luke shouted in rage as he spun around to physically retaliate.

Kota dodged each punch and kick, using Luke's own momentum against him. Kota's knee hit him in the abdomen. In the moment of disorientation it caused him the man gripped his arm and threw him hard on the floor. Before he could move the Force sent him crashing into a group of chairs.

He reached out to call his lightsaber back, and for a moment the hilt trembled on the floor before flying out of his grasp and into Kota's waiting hand. Luke grunted as he picked himself up. He felt the air for the destructive energy of a Sith lightning, but the Jedi's hand guided the Force to violently hoist Luke up before he could act. Try as he might, he was not able to move against the Jedi's iron hold.

Kota held him in place, slowly walking at him.

"I told you you should have just gone," he said, fingers gripping thin air to keep Luke suspended. A familiar snap-hiss of the lightsaber igniting sounded unusually loud in the deadly silent cantina. His toes just about reached the floor, his arms were stiff at his side.

"I would have let you. But the Galaxy will be a better place with one less pet of Vader's."

The red blade hummed against Luke's neck. One quick movement, and his own lightsaber would chop off his head.

"I am  _not_ his pet," Luke snarled at the Jedi. "I am his son."

He stared at the Jedi, full of hatred for him. He could sense how the man was taken aback by his words. By the truth that rang across the Force. And while the man could not see him with his blind eyes behind the rag that covered them, Luke could feel him answer his gaze. He could feel the wheels turn in his head. Kota had tried to get Darth Vader's attention by forming a small army and attacking Imperial targets for months. All for naught. But if this boy in front of him spoke the truth, what better way to get the Dark Lord's attention?

"It's your lucky day, junior," Kota announced. He let go of the ignition button. Luke reacted quickly, breaking himself free of the invisible hold.

He wasn't fast enough. The old man turned his palms at him, sending him fly across the room and slam hard against the wall. Luke slumped to the floor. He could feel his consciousness slip away. The last thing he saw and comprehended were Kota's boots as the Jedi walked towards him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know your thoughts if you have a moment. I love hearing from you guys.


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